The Golden Room
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: Weiss Schnee was Beacon High's top student. Yang Rose-Xiao Long was a free spirit. They live in the same place, but different worlds. What will happen when those two worlds collide? [Collab with azure-zer0! Cover art by her!]
1. Encounter

**So! Azure-zer0 and I got the idea to do an art/story collab for Weiss and Yang a while back, and now it's finally happening! There will be accompanying art to each chapter from Azure! We hope you enjoy!**

 **The cover art can be found at :** **azure-zer0,tumblr,com/post/161793140878**

 **This is gonna be set in a High School AU!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

The Golden Room

Chapter 1. Encounter

Beacon High School was the largest public school in all of Vale. It offered a wide range of classes and activities for its diverse students, catering to humans and Faunus alike.

The school was renown for its successful college prep courses, which allowed students to get a few extra credits onto their records before graduating and moving on to a university.

Along with academics, the high school also offered programs on theatre, the arts, and many sports.

The property was very large, with the main building having four floors' worth of classrooms, gymnasiums, and auditoriums.

On such a large campus, it was no surprise that most students would only ever encounter the classmates who shared the same interests and ended up in the same areas at the same times as their schedules demanded.

With nearly one thousand students attending, it was safe to say that any one individual could go through their high school years at Beacon High without even knowing a good fraction of their own graduation class even existed.

But sometimes, the best of friends could meet in the strangest of ways, be it by accident, mere coincidence, or even a bit of luck.

Everyone had a different interpretation of such an event, and depending on how things turned out in the end, they could deem the meeting as having been for better or for worse.

* * *

At eighteen years old, Weiss Schnee was one of Beacon High's most successful seniors.

She was one of the few examples where just about everyone else knew her. If they hadn't seen her give a small speech here or there, or sing one of the best solos out of any choir concert, at the very least they'd heard her name being called over the loudspeaker to commend her on such performances.

Her name was mentioned on the announcements at least once a week, and it was always for the best of reasons.

Weiss was a hardworking girl who wouldn't let anyone or anything get in the way of her academic excellence. She'd received the perfect attendance award for her freshman, sophomore, and junior years thus far, and wasn't about to lose it in her final year as a senior.

This particular award was one that had existed for many decades now on Beacon's campus, but one that no one had received yet. Students had won the award for perhaps one year out of the four, but the entire four-year award had yet to be claimed.

And Weiss intended to have it, no matter the cost.

Of course, that wasn't the only award she was striving for.

Like her sister before her, she was determined to be crowned the valedictorian of her class, as well as receive the superlative "Most Likely to Succeed." She was also confident that she might be given another award for her exceptional singing performances and her superior grades.

She'd never received anything lower than an A-. She'd never missed an assignment.

Not one sheet of homework had she missed, nor a single pop quiz had she flunked.

By this point in her life, she knew that if she didn't bring home a report card of all A's to her father, there would be unpleasant repercussions.

But she didn't have any hobbies or anything else she wanted to do other than focus on school and her studies. She didn't go out to the movies or have sleepovers with people or go out on dates or day trips.

In fact, despite all her accomplishments inside the school, Weiss really didn't have much to do after the final bell rang. She didn't really have any friends, only acquaintances at best. They were people who she was forced to work on group projects with, where she ended up doing most - if not all - of the work anyway. But she had no one to enjoy herself with on the weekends or to stay out past curfew with on a school night.

Sometimes, she couldn't help but wonder what it might be like to live life as that kind of teenager.

But her father had assured her time and again that the lack of socialization would be more than worth it.

"Friendships don't last," he'd once told her. "But superior grades and a prestigious reputation will."

And after so many years of hearing that, Weiss had come to believe it.

So she drowned herself in schoolwork and studying, even on weekends and during her free time. Once she'd run out of assignments to do, she would go online to find other topics to study, or participate in online practice exams in order to enhance her skills and knowledge on various topics.

She just wanted to survive her final year of high school without upsetting her father in any way. Once her senior year was over, she could head off to university right away and finally start life on her own, without her father constantly looking down over her shoulder.

And because of all her hard work thus far, she knew she was almost guaranteed to get accepted into any college she applied to.

But for now, she just wanted to focus on graduating at the top of her class, and making achievements no one else had ever accomplished before.

She wasn't about to start shirking her responsibilities now just because she was already standing on such a high pedestal. She was _going_ to succeed, and even if that meant making some personal sacrifices along the way, she'd do it.

Even if she had to do it alone.

* * *

Yang Rose-Xiao Long was a very free spirit.

Anyone who knew her would say the same thing about her, and arguably, even the people who _didn't_ know her probably would as well.

She came from what some people might call a "broken family."

Her little sister Ruby was actually only her half-sister. Ruby's mother had passed away in Ruby's infancy, and Yang's own mother had simply walked out of the house one day and never come back.

For most years of Yang's life, it had just been Ruby, their father, Zwei, and herself.

But Yang would never think to call her family "broken."

They might not have been whole, but they certainly weren't damaged beyond repair. They were mending, healing, and perfect just as they were.

Yang was in her senior year now, and Ruby was finally in the same school as her as a freshman. Though they didn't have any classes together, they did luck out in having their lunch block together, along with Yang's best friend Blake.

Yang was one of those people who knew everybody somehow. If she didn't know a person directly, she probably knew somebody else who knew them. She was a social butterfly to say the least, but she did have a few deep-rooted friendships as well, mainly the one she had with Blake.

While her Faunus friend was typically quieter by nature, that didn't stop her from attending just about every single one of Yang's sporting events.

Ever since they'd first met in their younger years, Blake had always been drawn to Ruby and Yang's outgoing and fun-loving personalities. She'd quickly become a part of the family, in the most basic sense. Wherever Ruby and Yang went, Blake was usually there with them, too.

And Yang was always there for her too, mainly to defend Blake against misguided classmates or the few who were still racist towards Faunus, even in this day and age. But luckily, those instances were few and far between.

She got to enjoy her friend's and sister's company during and after school, as well as on weekends. Yang hardly ever went anywhere without at least one of them by her side.

But in her senior year, Yang ended up losing a bit of time with them, but only after school.

Ruby and Blake had decided to join a book club together, which just so happened to be at the same time as Yang's sports' practices. But she was glad to know the two of them were off enjoying themselves in the library instead of sitting in the bleachers, probably being bored to death by her routine, even if they'd never show it.

Yang was a little lonely initially, having no one to cheer her on during her volleyball practices.

But luckily, it wouldn't be like that for long.

. . .

Yang had tried out all different sports over her years at Beacon High. She'd played soccer, softball, football, and field hockey, and in a few instances, she'd played two or three sports a year.

But during her final year, she had decided to only play one sport per one season, and use the rest of her free time to enjoy herself with her friends and her sister.

Yang really liked volleyball for several reasons. The workout routines were invigorating and high-intensity, which was right up her alley. But the sport itself also required a lot of focus and patience.

Those were two things she might arguably have to work on as a person.

She tended to be a bit impulsive, or could get easily distracted at times, like during a lecture when the topic didn't interest her in the slightest.

But volleyball helped keep her engaged, focused on the ball and the players around her, and helped her control her somewhat more impulsive behaviors.

It also helped a bit with her self-control, because she'd been told time and again that she didn't know her own strength. She needed to wait until _just_ the perfect time to make a move, needed to position herself at _just_ the right angle and use the proper amount of force – nothing more and nothing less.

In addition to all of these things, she found volleyball to just be fun in general.

Her fellow players were very amiable and good-natured, and she had a lot of fun playing with them, making jokes when someone missed a hit, or cheering and complimenting someone when they scored a point.

Overall, the sport just gave off a very positive, energetic atmosphere, one that Yang needed in her life. It fueled her to keep trying her best - and most importantly, to have fun.

Plus, the uniform was really cute, too.

The short-sleeved shirt and mini-skirt shorts were a welcome change to the usual blazer and skirt she was made to wear during the day, especially during the warmer months.

Today had been another one of those hotter days, even when practicing indoors. The coach had just dismissed them all, and Yang headed to the locker room, sweaty and satisfied. She went to the sinks to splash water onto her face and took an extra second to admire her reflection.

With the high ponytail, flattering uniform, and bit of sweat beading on her skin, she looked positively sporty.

She commended all of the other girls who'd practiced with her today, giving them little reminders about how good their hits or strikes were as she started to change out of her sports uniform and into the usual school one.

She tugged the dark blue skirt up onto her hips and slipped into the white button-up undershirt. But rather than put the long-sleeved blazer on over all that when she was still heated up from practice, she tied it around her waist instead.

She kept her hair in its ponytail for now so as to keep any excess weight and sweat off the back of her neck. After exchanging her sneakers for indoor shoes, she grabbed her backpack and wished everyone goodbye for the day as she headed out.

A glance at the clock on the wall told her practice had ended a little early today. Usually, she'd have to hurry to the library to meet with Blake and Ruby as their book club ended, but today Yang was content to take her time.

Rather than exhaust her, practice had seemed to give her even more energy today. She was still itching to move her feet a bit and keep her heart rate up.

So instead of sauntering through the hallways and up the stairs to the fourth floor library, she decided to take the long way.

The hallways that were usually so congested with students during the daytime were now almost vacant, save for a few stragglers getting let out from club activities, and other sports players like herself. Yang passed by the principal's office as well as the nurse's on her way to the staircase.

But instead of going directly there, she stopped at the nearby restroom first, which was arguably a bit cleaner than the one in the gym locker room. She dabbed a wet paper towel over her forehead again, wiping away the last of the sweat. From inside her backpack, she dug out a small bottle of perfume and spritzed on a bit, then took the time to brush through her ponytail for a minute.

By the time she was finished, she'd hoped it would be time to go fetch Ruby and Blake, but she found she still had a good fifteen minutes or so.

Deciding she'd just wait outside in the hallway until they were ready, Yang exited the bathroom and made for the staircase again.

But just before she could reach it, something reached _her_.

More specifically, a small sound carried through the air and reached her ears.

It was distant, but she could very clearly tell it was the tune of a piano, muffled by various doors and walls.

And accompanying it was the faintest voice, but the decreased volume didn't prevent her from determining just how lovely the sound was.

Yang had stayed after school dozens of times for her practices, but never before had she heard those sound before. Her curiosity won her over, and she decided to turn away from the staircase and head down the hall towards the music room.

 _I didn't know they had practice after school this late... Maybe there are auditions for something?_

But as she drew closer and closer to the source of the music, she didn't see any other people. No students lining the halls, practicing lines, or acting out skits for some potential part.

Puzzled, Yang couldn't help but advance toward the room, wondering what was going on. With every step, the music got stronger, though she couldn't exactly classify the tinkling piano keys and soft clear voice as being "loud."

But it was obvious to Yang that whomever was singing was no amateur. The words were crisp and articulate, the tune on the piano was flawless and sounded professional.

Yang paused outside of the room and leaned back against the wall, and for a minute, she simply listened to that beautiful voice.

It was clear the singer was female, and judging by her tone and pronunciation, it was a fellow student, even though the skill level seemed to suggest she was a trained music teacher.

To put it simply, Yang was mesmerized.

The lovely voice and calming music alone were captivating enough, but on top of that, the late-afternoon sunlight was coming in through the windows and down the hall at just the perfect angle, giving the pale, off-white walls a golden glow.

Yang felt indescribably warm, and she knew it wasn't all to do with her just getting out of practice. She closed her eyes, though the glow of the sunlight still gave a yellowish-orange hue to the backs of her eyelids.

For as long as she could, she savored those beautiful sounds of the trained voice and tinkling piano. She wondered if this girl sang like this after school every day, but Yang had always missed out on it because of her practices always ending later. She thought that was a waste, to have missed hearing so many days' worth of this beautiful melody. She wanted to listen forever...

But of course, the song eventually came to an end.

The singer's voice lingered on the air for a moment, still echoing down the golden hallways as the final notes of the piano rang out and faded off.

Yang hung onto that final moment for as long as she could until everything fell silent.

Only then did she open her eyes and remember to take a breath. She'd been so focused on the music all this time that she hadn't really concentrated on anything else that much.

 _Wow... Holy crap, that was incredible. I should say something..._

Even though it would reveal the fact that she'd kind of been eavesdropping, she wanted the singer to have her hard work recognized, even if it was just in a few kind words from a passing stranger.

So Yang steeled herself, running a hand back through her hair as she stepped away from the wall. Quietly, she treaded into the open door of the music room. There were rows of seats lining the floor, divided into separate sections for concert choir and band.

But Yang directed her gaze towards the black piano positioned several yards away.

Seated at the bench was a girl with long white hair pulled back into a ponytail. Along with the blue colors of the school uniform, it gave Yang a refreshing chill to see her after all the sweating she'd done this afternoon.

The other girl hadn't noticed her entrance; she seemed to be preparing to start playing another song. But before Yang could stop herself, she ended up breaking the silence by blurting out.

"Oh! I know you!"

She was just so excited since she recognized the girl at the piano.

But the singer was clearly surprised by the unexpected outburst. With a small yelp, she jolted and twisted around, very nearly falling off the bench in the process. One of her hands flew to her chest as her eyes went wide in shock.

"W-Who are you?" she cried. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, sorry!" Yang made her way over, putting a hand behind her head with a sheepish grin on her lips. "Didn't mean to scare ya. It's just that I heard you singing and playing and I'd _thought_ you sounded familiar. But now that I'm seeing your face, I totally recognize you! You're the girl who always sings the solos at the choir concerts! My little sister's in the band, so when I go to see her performance, I usually see the choir's, too. You're amazing!"

She'd said so much so quickly that the other girl hadn't even had the time to recover from Yang's barging in yet. She sat there looking up at her, still perplexed.

"I... Well, thank you." She wasn't about to let genuine praise of herself go without grateful recognition. "Now, would you mind telling me what exactly it is you're doing here?"

She wasn't trying to sound mean or accusatory, but her natural voice might've made it sound that way.

But Yang didn't take any offense at all.

"Oh! I just got outta volleyball practice early. I was heading up to the library to pick up my sister and our friend, but I had some time to kill so I let myself wander a bit. That's when I heard you singin' and I came over just to listen for a minute. And well... I didn't wanna just leave without telling you how great you are, so I decided to come in and chat!" She put her hands on her hips and smiled, satisfied with her explanation.

The other girl still looked puzzled, but now she was starting to relax a little bit.

"I see..."

Judging by the blonde girl's ruffled uniform and the way she'd tied her blazer around her waist rather than worn it properly over her shoulders, it indicated she'd just gotten changed after sports practice.

"Well then, thank you for stopping in to tell me as much. I appreciate it...?" She left it open-ended.

The blonde girl quickly filled it in.

"Yang! My name's Yang! You're um... ah gosh, they announce you as the soloist all the time! Why can't I remember?"

"Weiss Schnee."

"Right! Weiss! The prodigy singer! Nice to officially meet you, though it's a little weird that it's in an empty music room after school like this."

She reached out her hand in the usual, amiable fashion.

But Weiss ignored it, standing on her own and avoiding eye contact.

"It's nice to meet you, too."

Her voice sounded a little tighter, and Yang frowned.

"H-Hey, um... sorry. Did I say something wrong?"

"Not at all. I've got to go now. It's almost time for my father to come pick me up."

She brushed past Yang and headed for the only chair that wasn't empty. It was were Weiss had left her bag, and she retrieved it now.

But Yang still couldn't help feeling guilty, as if she'd made their casual little encounter awkward somehow.

"H-Hey, wait a sec!" She jogged over to Weiss, pausing in front of her. Weiss stopped and upturned a serious gaze on her.

"I told you, my father's coming to pick me up. I've got to go-"

"B-But! Okay, then at least um... let me walk with you? I can't help feelin' I made you upset just now, and I'm sorry."

"That's not necessary."

Weiss stepped around her and headed for the door.

But Yang didn't want things to end like this.

"U-Um! Then, would you mind if... maybe in the future I came by to listen to you sing again? Would that be okay?"

Weiss paused, and even from this distance, Yang could see the girl's grip on her bag tighten a little bit. Weiss didn't turn around to face her, but she did respond.

"That's fine. I wouldn't mind."

Relief spread over Yang from her head to her toes, and the usual grin found its way back onto her lips.

"Really? That's great! Maybe I'll swing by again sometime! And I'll try not to scare you next time."

"That would be nice."

Weiss' voice was still tight, but Yang thought she might've heard a smile in it. She couldn't be sure though.

All Yang could do was watch as Weiss left the room, moving at a rather brisk pace. In the warm glow of the sunlight streaming in, she looked like a nymph or an angel, and disappeared just as mysteriously as one might've.

For a moment, Yang stared after her, wondering if she'd even been real at all.

But the song Weiss had sung was still playing in Yang's mind and in her heart.

She didn't know what to make of their first encounter. She felt she'd both made Weiss happy and upset somehow, but at the very least, she'd agreed to let Yang come by in the future if she wanted to. Hopefully then, Yang could right whatever wrongs she'd been responsible for, and perhaps even find out more about Weiss.

After all, she must've gotten lonely sitting here after school all by herself for hours.

Yang wasn't quite sure what she'd do when she saw Weiss next, but she knew for sure that she _wanted_ to see her again.

But for now, she needed to get to the library to pick up Ruby and Blake.

So she left the golden music room behind herself.

But it wouldn't be for the last time.

* * *

 **A/N: In all honesty, I wrote this entire fic over a year ago, and Azure has been working on art for it recently. Since I haven't touched it in so long, I'd more or less forgotten what I'd written. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!**

 **Accompanying artwork from Azure can be found at :** **azure-zer0,tumblr,com/post/161793142723**

 **Please review!**


	2. Planning

**Wow! I'm so amazed and honored at the immense and positive amounts of reactions this story got in only its first chapter! Azure and I are so glad you like it! Please continue reading, reviewing, and reblogging the promo art!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 2. Planning

All the car ride home that afternoon, Weiss couldn't stop thinking about the girl she'd met in the music room.

Her name was Yang, and despite a few verbal mishaps in their brief moments of conversation, she'd seemed rather nice. But Weiss wasn't about to start expecting to see her again very often.

 _She'll probably forget about coming to see me. And that's fine. If she visited me every day, it would be a distraction. I wouldn't be able to focus on my homework._

Therefore the next day, Weiss didn't allow a single thought of Yang to pass through her mind. She gave her full attention to her classes as per usual, never putting so much as a pencil out of place.

By the time the day was over, she'd more or less forgotten about Yang entirely.

The final bell rang, and the majority of students began rushing to their lockers, down the stairs, and to their buses. Most seniors tended to drive themselves to school, so they all headed for the parking lots. Only the people who had after-school activities stayed.

Well... those people and Weiss.

Her family could very easily afford a car for her, but she knew that her father pointedly decided to drive her to and from school himself so he could keep an eye on her. It was both a way of keeping her safe, and keeping her under control.

So she was sort of glad that he only came to pick her up after his work was finished, because few people ever saw her leaving or noticed that her father was still chauffeuring her around as though she were some spoiled brat.

After Weiss had gathered everything she'd need from her locker, she made the lonely trek down the staircases and arrived at the ground level. She headed straight for the music room, which was always left open. No one else ever came here after school, so for Weiss to be able to walk into the room as though it was her very own was comforting.

It was a large room with plenty of space. She didn't feel congested or pressured at all, unlike most rooms in her own house. Here, in the music room, she had her own space.

She took her usual chair – the one she sat in during actual music classes in the soprano section – and took out her various subjects' worth of homework to get started. Singing was a reward for herself only if she managed to finish her writing and reading assignments, but she made sure never to rush through them and sacrifice quality for the sake of recreation.

But today, she was blessed with a rather light load of work that only took her about an hour. After double-checking her planner to ensure she'd actually gotten everything done, she excitedly packed her things up, left her bag on her chair, and hurried over to the piano.

Many months ago, when she'd first decided to make singing her personal after-school activity, she'd asked the music teacher in advance if it would be all right for her to use the magnificent ebony piano as she pleased. He'd happily granted her the permission, knowing she was serious about her music, and her performance as a student.

For Weiss, sitting down at the bench and lifting up the cover to reveal those ivory keys provided a sensation like no other, one that never went away no matter how frequently she did this.

It was a small thrill, one that trickled through her like fingers gliding over those keys, making a tiny melody only she could hear. She loved knowing that she was being trusted with this space, this equipment, in a way that no other student was ever trusted. It made her feel responsible, proud, and important.

She always took care when she played, her body easily remembering all of the lessons she'd taken as a child. This was part of her homework as well, in a way, because her father would often ask her to play something new on their piano at home in order to demonstrate she hadn't been slacking in her studies of music.

But unlike some of her other work, Weiss never saw music as a chore.

She could hardly wait for the musical buildup to finish before she took a deep breath and started letting out her voice.

Her music filled the air, brushing off the white-painted brick walls in just the perfect way to have each annunciated syllable echo pleasantly back to reach her ears.

She got lost in her music, in the songs she never got to hear like this. It wasn't the same when she sang to herself in her bedroom or in the shower. Only here could she enjoy her own music to the fullest extent.

She sang every kind of song that matched the piano. Some were well-known, some were lullabies, and some she'd written herself in her younger years. She was skilled enough to close her eyes when she played and sang, but every once in a while made sure to glance at the clock to ensure she wouldn't run late and keep her father waiting.

But she had plenty of time today.

She played and sang through multiple songs, until her fingers started to hurt a bit and her lungs started to ache. When she'd finished her current piece, she let the last of the piano's tune fade away as she caught her breath, smiling.

It was then she decided it was time for a water break. She stood from the bench, intending to stretch her legs a bit during her small pause as she headed for her bag. But she hadn't even taken two steps when she heard an oddly familiar voice.

"Aw, come on. You don't have to stop just because I came in!"

Weiss half-yelped, half-gasped as she whirled around the face the doorway. Yang was there, looking exactly like she had yesterday, the white shirt of her uniform ruffled with her blazer tied around her skirt. She'd been leaning back against the wall until Weiss noticed her. Now, Yang approached her, wearing a frown.

"I'm sorry if my being here distracted you or something. I didn't mean to. Please don't stop on my account, Weiss."

But Weiss had no idea what she was talking about. Once the initial shock had worn off, she managed to find her voice again.

"W-What are you talking about? When did you get here? I had no idea!"

In contrast to how flustered Weiss was feeling, Yang seemed to be put at ease by her words.

"Oh, really? That's good! I thought I'd distracted you or bugged you somehow so you'd decided to stop. I'm glad that wasn't it."

"...No, it wasn't. But how long have you _been_ here?" Weiss repeated.

Yang shrugged.

"Does it really matter? Long enough to enjoy your incredible music, that's how long! Though honestly, that could've been for just a second." A grin spread across her lips as she stopped walking just a few feet away from Weiss. "You really have an amazing voice. And I bet people tell you that _aaall_ the time, but I just want you to know they're all being one-hundred percent truthful when they do."

Weiss bit her lip a little as she reached for her bag.

"Thank you..."

She pawed out her water bottle and unscrewed the cap before taking a few dainty sips from it. She was well-aware of the fact that Yang was admiring her like some mythical creature all the while, and it made Weiss stutter and nearly spill. She covered the incident with a cough and covered her mouth with her sleeve as she capped the bottle and put it down.

"Anyway... how did you get here so early? Don't you have... some kind of sports practice?"

"Oh, yeah! Well you _did_ say I could come by and visit you here after school, right?"

"...I did." _But I never thought you'd actually remember._

"Well, I really wanted to come see you again. So I told my coach I'd have to leave practice early from now on. It doesn't cut into anything important. It just means I have to get changed more quickly and not take my sweet time in the locker room."

Sheepishly, she indicated her messy clothes. "But he said it's fine! And so I hurried as quickly as I could to come here today! I know you're on a tight schedule so I made sure not to miss you!"

So many things in those few sentences stood out to Weiss.

First of all, there was the fact that Yang had even remembered about her declaration to come and see Weiss again at all, and that she'd actually done it.

Secondly, there was the fact that Yang would sacrifice a bit of her practice times to come and see her, when Yang clearly enjoyed volleyball very much.

And thirdly, there was the fact that Yang had remembered everything Weiss had told her about her own personal schedule and just how tight it was.

Yang had been thoughtful enough to consider Weiss' needs and had altered her _own_ schedule in a way that wouldn't risk changing Weiss'.

To someone like Weiss, whom people rarely ever went out of their way for, this was all hitting her like a warm gust of wind. She could feel the smile curling on her lips, but she quickly looked away from Yang to hide it. She wasn't quite sure what to say, so she just said whatever came to her lips.

"That's... very kind of you. Thank you, Yang."

Her saying Yang's name so happily made the blonde girl even more ecstatic. Her grin only widened.

"Hey, no need to thank me! I said I'd come and see you again, so I'm just keeping my word!"

Weiss flashed a quick glance up at her soft lavender eyes.

"Thank you," she murmured again.

Yang couldn't help but feel there was something more behind those words. Weiss really meant them. But it wasn't the time nor place to ask about it. She simply kept on smiling.

"Oh, but if you've gotta leave now, then I'll head out, too. I don't want you to think you have to stay just because I'm here."

"Not at all," Weiss assured her. "My father won't be coming for another ten minutes or so. I've set an alarm on my phone to make sure. So then..." With a pause, she indicated the various empty chairs around them. "If you'd like, please have a seat. I can perform a few more pieces."

"Really?" Yang perked up like a puppy who'd been shown a treat. "Then it'll be my honor!"

She took a seat a few chairs away from Weiss' bag, shuffling her feet and twiddling her fingers in excitement. Yesterday, she'd only been able to hear Weiss from outside the room. But now, she'd be able to see her play as well.

Weiss strode back to the piano, admittedly a bit nervous. She'd never played for a private audience before. But something told her Yang wouldn't say a thing if Weiss were to mess something up.

So Weiss took her seat at the bench and began playing her next piece.

She could feel Yang's gaze on her back, but she didn't let that stop her from giving her all on this piece. She sang as she always sang, with passion and poise, letting her voice glide up and down the octaves.

She articulated every word with flawless accuracy and timing, breathed in all the right places, and never slipped up. Her fingers worked expertly across the keys, one foot tapping in time with the beat of the music. She almost forgot Yang was watching her and simply got immersed in her music, singing and playing without a care in the world.

And it was all too easy for Yang to get mesmerized all over again.

It was that time of the afternoon when the sunlight was just slanting through the windows, illuminating the entire room in an ethereal glow. Weiss sat at the center of it all, her silver hair streaked with highlights of gold, her pale skin shimmering with sunlight, her blue eyes sparkling with vivacity.

It was like watching a piece of heaven ascend for only a moment, painting the world in perfection and light as an angel sang a melody like no other.

Yang engraved the image into her heart, feeling tears well up behind her eyes. The words of the song were touching, and the overall emotion given off by the atmosphere had her pressing her palms to her mouth to stifle little sobs.

It was a moment that lasted a lifetime, and ended all too soon.

The last of the piano keys tinkled away as Weiss' final note hung suspended in the air, lingering like a dream she couldn't quite remember.

By the time silence fell once again, Yang was still struggling to wipe her face clean of tears. Weiss turned around to face her, drawing her hands into her lap coyly.

"...What did you think?"

She knew it wasn't wise to seek approval and judgement of her performance from a student who wasn't trained in the ways of music and voice. But she couldn't help but want to know what Yang had thought of it.

Weiss looked at her a little expectantly, and a little nervously. The blonde girl was fidgeting in her seat, just pulling her hands away from her face to bring them together instead.

"Wow..." she said, clapping. "Holy crap... Weiss, that was... I mean... I don't even know what to say... 'Incredible' isn't nearly enough..."

Weiss had heard all kinds of praises before, from all kinds of people. She'd heard things from long-winded discourses about the areas where she needed improvement, to more constructive critics talking about what she'd done well. She'd heard things from music teachers, private instructors, and sometimes even from her own father.

And yet, somehow, something as simple and sweet as the word "incredible" coming from a fellow student her own age meant more to her than any of those other things.

She couldn't help but smile and dip her head.

"Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Yang swallowed.

"Yeah... say, um-"

But she was cut off by the sound of Weiss' alarm going off. The white-haired girl quickly hurried over to her bag and fished out her phone to silence it.

"Sorry. That means it's time for me to go."

She pulled the strap of her bag up onto her shoulder, then hurried back to the piano to pull the key cover down, making sure to leave the room as immaculate as when she'd entered it.

Yang watched her silently, her mouth hanging open slightly. She wanted to say more. She wanted to say _so much more._ But she'd run out of time.

Hastily, she stood, picking up her own school bag as she watched Weiss hurry about. Yang wouldn't be able to accept just letting her go without saying something more to her. So before Weiss could rush out the door, Yang called out to her.

"W-Wait!"

Weiss skidded to a halt and turned to her, eyes slightly anxious about potentially making her strict father way.

"What is it?"

Yang chewed on the inside of her cheek.

"Um... See you tomorrow?"

Time seemed to stop just for a second. Weiss forgot the sense of urgency pulsing in her chest for a moment and relaxed long enough to show Yang a smile. Her answer came out as effortlessly as any song.

"Of course."

And with that, she dashed out of the room and down the halls toward the school's exit doors, leaving behind a very giddy blonde girl.

* * *

That was their routine from then on.

Yang would hurry to get out of her volleyball practices a little bit earlier than usual, and then she'd rush to the music room to be with Weiss.

There were some days when Weiss had too much homework to do, so Yang would only ever hear one song from her before she needed to leave.

But most of the time, Yang was able to sit in for at least three songs, and when she got lucky, it was sometimes up to four or five.

When Weiss wasn't singing and when Yang wasn't listening, they'd often just talk.

Weiss told Yang about her studies, and sometimes, bits and pieces about her personal life would slip out, too. But she felt comfortable enough around Yang where she soon found she didn't mind all that much.

She told her about her dedication to her work and hobbies, and how she'd found a passion for them in the first place. She told Yang about her older sister Winter, and in turn, Yang would tell her about herself as well.

For every time Weiss talked about Winter, Yang talked about Ruby.

For every time Weiss talked about her studies, Yang talked about going out with Blake and Ruby to have fun.

The contrast in their lifestyles was obvious, but they both had schedules that worked for them.

But that didn't stop Yang from inviting Weiss out of her comfort zone.

One afternoon in particular, after about two weeks of their after-school rendezvous, Yang was sure she'd probably bored Weiss to death talking about volleyball.

But no matter how much she gabbed on and on, Weiss never showed signs of getting tired of listening. She even seemed interested in the sport, it seemed.

She'd revealed that she'd played in gym class due to it being required, but she'd never really enjoyed doing it herself. But she thought she might like it better if she were to watch someone who was actually passionate about the sport.

She told Yang as much today, as they were sitting side by side in their chairs.

"I don't think I've been able to appreciate it myself. But I'm sure if I could watch you play, I'd see all the best aspects of it."

And Yang hadn't missed a beat.

"Then you should totally come by and watch me play sometime! Maybe come to one of my practices after school!"

She knew Weiss well enough by now to be able to anticipate her reaction even before she gave it.

"But..." Weiss recoiled, frowning. "You know I can't, Yang. I've got to come here and finish my homework, then practice music. I can't shirk my responsibilities or be late in meeting Father."

Yang nodded.

"I understand that. You know I do. Which is why I'm suggesting we _tweak_ things a bit."

Weiss raised an eyebrow, partially-nervous but also partially-curious.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Glad you asked. Hear me out. Let's just wait for a day when you don't have a lot of homework to do. The work you do receive, just try to get it done early. Maybe if you have free time during your lunch hour or something? That way you'll have the afternoons after school free! And you don't have to practice music every day. Your dad doesn't ask you to play at home _that_ often, right?"

Weiss thought for a moment.

"No. He only asks a few times a week."

"And you have tons of numbers up your sleeve that you can impress him with! You don't need to practice every single day after school, right?"

Again, Weiss considered the truth in her statement.

"I suppose..."

"See? Then you should definitely come by to see my volleyball practice sometime! I'd love to have ya!"

Weiss was silent for a long moment. She wasn't too sure about the idea of changing up her after-school schedule, especially if it meant she could risk upsetting her father somehow.

But Yang had made so many valid points.

If Weiss was smart about finishing her homework before it was time for her to be picked up, and if she made absolutely certain not to be late in getting to her father's car, she didn't see how there could be any harm in the idea.

She realized that Yang was anxiously waiting for some kind of response from her. Weiss looked her in the eyes, then let out a long sigh.

"Well... I suppose it couldn't hurt to come see you. Just once or twice."

She'd said it as though it was nothing spectacular, which it wasn't, at least in her book.

But Yang reacted as though Weiss had just told her the secret of the universe. She all but jumped right out of her chair, clapping excitedly as a gleam sparkled to life in her eyes.

"Really? You mean it? You'll come see me practice?"

Weiss waved for her to sit back down.

"Isn't that what I said, you oaf?" She said the term with endearment, and Yang chuckled.

"You're right, you're right. That _is_ what you just said." The blonde sat back down, looking as giddy as a child who'd just gotten the birthday present they'd been wanting for months. "All right then. My practice hours are directly after school's over. We always meet in the gym. So you can come by any day that works best for you. If I don't see you there, then I'll just come to you here like always! Sound good?"

Weiss dipped her head.

"I think that's fair."

Yang laughed again.

"Great! Then I look forward to seein' ya!"

* * *

 **A/N: They're already beginning to get closer! How will Weiss react to changing up her schedule and taking another step out of her comfort zone?**

 **Accompanying artwork from Azure can be found at :** **azure-zer0,tumblr,com/post/** **162053604178**

 **Please review!**


	3. Friends

**All right so Weiss is gonna try to step out of her comfort zone and watch one of Yang's practices! Let's see how this goes!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 3. Friends

After that, Yang could barely sit still throughout all of her classes every day.

She would whittle away the hours during each lecture by thinking about what she'd do if today was the day Weiss came to see her.

She'd told Ruby and Blake about Weiss already, and they'd both seemed very curious about this strange, white-haired soloist whom they'd only ever seen onstage before.

They made Yang realize what a special relationship she had with Weiss. Most people only tended to see Weiss when she was in the middle of a performance singing. Other than that, people only saw her sitting in class, and then she would disappear after school and no one would consider where it was she'd gone.

Only Yang had ever seen Weiss practicing alone in the music room after school, and only Yang had ever gotten close enough to her to forge a special bond.

Realizing as much made the blonde feel warm inside. She hoped Weiss enjoyed her company as much as she enjoyed Weiss'.

Unfortunately, Weiss didn't make it to Yang's practices for the next three days.

Each time, as soon as Yang came out of the locker room, dressed in her volleyball uniform and ready to play, she'd scour the bleachers. Most of the friends and significant others of her fellow players would sit and wait and watch from there like a tiny audience.

But each time, Yang failed to spot a familiar white ponytail.

However, she didn't get disheartened. She still hurried to get dressed afterward and rushed to the music room to find Weiss herself.

But on the fourth day, Yang received a rather pleasant surprise.

The volleyball players had just finished their warm-up jog and stretches. Yang was heading to the space by the wall where everyone kept their water bottles to refresh herself.

But no sooner had she unscrewed the cap and put it to her lips than all the water came spurting back out.

Her eyes, which had so idly been scanning the rows of bleachers, came to a sudden halt as she glimpsed a familiar girl making her way across them.

Weiss had her book bag on one shoulder and was clasping at the strap with both hands as she found a fairly empty place to sit down. Unlike the crowds of other people sitting there who were all laughing and talking and eating, Weiss looked rather out of place.

It was clear that she'd never attended sports practice before, and that the rowdy environment wasn't at all what she was used to. She seemed to be fidgeting a lot as she got herself situated, and for a moment, Yang thought she might take out a book and start doing work.

The blonde quickly wiped her mouth off and cleared her throat, gathering up her voice to call out across the din of the gymnasium.

"Hey, Weiss!" She waved enthusiastically at her, a huge grin spreading across her lips.

Weiss half-jolted at the sudden shout of her name, but when she looked up, her eyes locked directly with Yang's.

Even from this distance, Yang could see her cheeks flush a little as Weiss timidly raised a hand and waved back. She appeared to be chiding Yang under her breath, and the blonde felt she knew exactly what Weiss was bemoaning.

 _I wish you wouldn't make such a big deal about this!_

But Yang was too ecstatic to do anything other than brag about the fact that Weiss Schnee had come to see _her_ today. She was determined to give the singer a display she'd never forget.

The coach blew his whistle, and Yang dropped her water bottle before jogging over to stand with the other girls and listen about today's practice. They'd be playing mock matches against each other, focusing on their different types of hits and how to aim them.

They were divided up into teams of six and took their positions on either side of the many nets set up around the gym. Yang cracked her knuckles then crouched down, bracing her palms on her knees as she waited for the serve. She was going to impress Weiss today no matter what.

Knowing that she had someone watching her and possibly even cheering her on, even if Weiss would only do that in her head, it made Yang all the more motivated to do her best in the sport that she loved.

Overall, she gave a flawless performance that afternoon.

She returned every hit, made every serve, and scored almost half a dozen points per game. She demonstrated great focus and flexibility, as well as superb reaction times. Her depth perception allowed her to accurately determine if the ball would make it over the net or not, or if it would end up near herself or one of her teammates.

Whenever she got a second to spare, she'd glance over her shoulder to where Weiss was sitting.

Half the time, she expected Weiss to have really gotten bored of the sport and decided to read instead, as Blake would often do.

But every time Yang turned to seek her out, Weiss was sitting upright in her seat, eyes wide and focused entirely on everything Yang was doing. She seemed to have a real interest in the game, or perhaps it was just Yang herself.

The blonde shook her head, not wanting to flatter herself. She gave Weiss a wave and a wink before directing her attention back to the game.

There were only a few minutes left for practice, and Yang was beginning to feel the ache in her muscles and the sweat on her skin. But she wanted to try and do one last cool thing for Weiss to see.

She played as per usual for a few minutes, making great returns and serves.

At last, the other team hit the ball just right, high up over the net and aimed directly towards her.

Yang wanted to make a high jump and follow it with a spike to end the game. She didn't bother to judge the height of the ball in comparison to that of the net. She simply made the jump as soon as she could, without really thinking it through.

She'd regret that soon enough.

As the ball came down, Yang realized too late that she wouldn't be able to make the hit. Yelping, she was suspended in midair for a second before the ball smashed into her left shoulder, then bounced off to the floor.

Unbalanced by the blow, Yang landed horribly wrong, her ankle twisting painfully just before she went crashing to the floor.

All at once, people started gasping and crying out as the whistle was blown. Yang could only cringe and whimper as she curled in on herself, hands clutching at her injured foot.

"Shit, shit! Ahhh... Damn it..."

She'd done so well up until the last second. She'd just _had_ to try and look cool to show off to Weiss...

Her teammates were huddling around her worriedly as the coach brushed through them and crouched over Yang, asking her a million different questions. But the tears trickling down her face ensured she couldn't speak just yet, only inhale sharply as she cringed on the floor.

 _Shit... How embarrassing..._

But then, past the barrage of voices swirling around her, one in particular stood out.

"Yang?!"

Weiss was in more of a panic than anyone else. That much, Yang could tell just by hearing her cry out her name.

As the blonde cracked open her eyes, she saw Weiss elbow her way through the crowds and drop to her knees at her side. Her blue eyes were wavering with concern, her lips parted in gasp after gasp of shock.

"Yang?" Gently, Weiss placed her hand on her friend's shoulder. The volleyball player winced, but not because of the contact. It was more due to the fact that Weiss was looking so scared, and Yang knew it was all her fault.

"H-Hey..." she said meekly, and it was all she managed.

Weiss placed her other hand over Yang's, helping her cover her twisted ankle. Yang couldn't stop a sigh as her cool fingers relieved a bit of the pain.

At the very least, Weiss was relieved that Yang was still able to send her a grin, feeble as it was. While everyone else was just standing around gabbing and gasping, Weiss was already planning action.

"I'm taking you to the nurse. Can you get up?"

"Yeah... I think so..."

Yang braced her palms on the hard floor and pushed herself up as best she could. Weiss shooed the rest of the onlookers back and got beside her friend, offering Yang her hand. Weiss dipped her torso and allowed Yang to drape her arm across her shoulders.

"Don't rush," Weiss murmured. "Just take it easy or else you'll get hurt even more."

"Y-Yeah..."

Yang did as advised and took her time getting her bearings. Everyone else kept their distance, as Weiss had made it clear that she was going to be the one to take care of their teammate.

Yang curled her good leg beneath herself and pushed up a bit, keeping her injured foot to one side so she wouldn't bump it against herself. She caught Weiss' eye and gave her a nod to tell her she was ready.

Slowly, Weiss got to her feet, keeping Yang close to her side. The blonde used her free hand to push herself off the floor as she hobbled onto her good foot. Weiss staggered a bit with Yang's added weight, but she refused to slip or let her fall. Despite their obvious difference in size and muscle, Weiss managed to help Yang up all on her own.

The rest of Yang's teammates and her coach were all dumbfounded. They had no idea this petite singer would be here to watch their practices, let alone take one of their strongest members to the nurse all on her own.

But Weiss wasn't about to let anyone or anything stop her.

With a calm voice and steady step, she began leading Yang across the gym to the exit doors, then out into the hallway. Yang hopped and hobbled beside her, only barely tapping her bad foot on the floor to help herself slide forward. Only once they were out of earshot of others did Weiss break the silence.

"Goodness. I nearly had a heart-attack..."

Yang cast her a sheepish smile.

"Sorry. It's my own fault."

"You've got that right, you big show-off." She said it playfully, and Yang laughed.

"Yeah, I just wanted to show off a bit. Wanted you to think I was cool."

"You oaf. I'd thought that already _without_ your jumping into the air and crashing down like a plane with no pilot."

Her analogy was so peculiar and unexpected that Yang burst out into laughter, despite the discomfort of her injury. Weiss heaved a sigh, but smiled, glad that her friend was all right.

They eventually made it to the nurse's office, where Weiss was able to let Yang down onto one of the beds. As the nurse tended to Yang, Weiss sat down on a chair nearby and caught her breath, clearly exhausted from the trek.

The nurse gave Yang an ice pack to hold against her ankle and advised her not to put weight onto it. Yang explained to her that all of her school-related items and clothes were in the gym, and that she also needed to pick up her sister and friend from the fourth floor library.

Clearly, neither the nurse nor Weiss was willing to let her do that.

Weiss immediately offered to go back to the gym to retrieve Yang's things, while the nurse made a private call to the library to have Ruby and Blake be sent downstairs.

Weiss hurried to the gymnasium, where Yang's helpful teammates had already prepared Yang's bag and folded-up uniform to be sent to the nurse for her. Weiss graciously accepted everything from them, then grabbed her own things from the bleachers before hurrying back to the nurse's office.

As soon as Yang saw her return, a look of relief and the utmost gratitude curled onto her lips.

"Thank you so much, Weiss. You didn't have to do that."

"But I wanted to." With a playful huff, Weiss deposited Yang's things onto the bed. "Are your sister and your friend coming?"

"Yeah, they're on their way now." She patted the bed beside herself, inviting Weiss to sit closer. The singer accepted the offer, folding her hands into her lap.

"What did the nurse say? How bad is it?"

"Just a sprain! I'll be fine. This is nothin' compared to the time I broke my leg freshman year."

Weiss grimaced just at the thought.

"You've got to be more careful."

"Aw, broken bones are a symbol! Proof that you did something cool, right?"

"Or something foolish."

"Don't tell me you're one of those people who've never broken a bone in their body."

Weiss shrugged indifferently.

"I guess I don't have as many opportunities as you do. Or an uncanny desire for bodily harm."

Yang laughed again, bringing a hand up to wipe her eyes.

"Gosh, Weiss, you're killin' me. But all jokes aside, thank you for helping me out."

"No need to thank me." Weiss paused for a moment, then lowered her voice into a more private tone. "That's what friends are for, right?"

Yang's eyes widened a little. That was the first time Weiss had ever explicitly called her a friend. It made her so immensely happy she couldn't stop herself from grinning again.

"Yeah! You bet'cha!"

"Is this going to prevent you from playing?"

"Just till the end of the week or so. I'll still go to practices, but I'll just take it easy. And hey, this might be a good excuse to leave a little early so I can come and see you!"

"You oaf! Don't get injured just so you can leave early!"

"I didn't, I swear!" Yang found herself laughing again, glad that Weiss was finally smiling, too. At that point, her eyes happened to wander over to the clock on the wall, which made her stop laughing altogether. "Um, Weiss? What time does your dad usually come to pick you up?"

Weiss froze like a prey animal being hunted before she whipped around to face the clock.

"Oh no! He must've arrived ten minutes ago!"

"What? But your alarm-"

"It must've gone off when I left my bag in the gym. Oh drat, he'll be angry..."

Hastily, she grabbed her bag and got off the bed, clearly in a panic. It was all Yang could do to reach out and grasp her wrist firmly, causing the girl to look back at her.

"Hey, easy. Take a breath. It'll be okay." Yang offered her a soothing smile. "I promise."

Weiss swallowed, but did her best to get herself under control.

"Thank you..."

With that, she slipped away from Yang and hurried out the door.

Ruby and Blake were just coming in as Weiss darted past them.

"Yang! What- gah!" Ruby jumped aside as the white-haired girl pelted past her and down the hall without so much as a second glance. Ruby stumbled back and Blake reached out to steady her and smooth out her uniform.

"You okay?" Blake wondered.

"Yeah." She then seemed to remember why they'd been called down here. "Ohmigosh! Yang! Are _you_ okay?" Ruby dashed over to her sister's bedside nervously.

"Chill out, lil' sis. I'm all good. Just a sprain."

"Really?" asked Blake. "I'm surprised. Usually you're a lot more careful ever since the time you broke your leg."

"Yeah well, y'know. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do."

"What the heck's _that_ mean?" Ruby mumbled. "Well, I guess Blake and I have to carry you out now, huh?"

"Where are your keys?" Blake asked. "I'll drive."

"Front zipper."

As Blake pulled the car keys out of Yang's school bag, Ruby helped her sister sit up straight. She gave the ice pack back to the nurse and thanked her on Yang's behalf before returning to the bed.

Together, Blake and Ruby helped Yang to her feet, then called out more words of thanks to the nurse as they hobbled out.

"What a day," Blake sighed. "I can't wait to go home and have a cup of tea."

"Oh!" Ruby peeped. "Yang, that girl who ran out of here before! Who was she?"

Yang presented the two of them with a grand, white smile.

"She's a friend."

* * *

 **A/N: They got to the friend tier! Took a bit of a minor crisis on Yang's part, but they got there!**

 **Accompanying artwork is here :** **azure-zer0,tumblr,com/post/162327533533**

 **Please review!**


	4. Recovery

**Weiss got to go and see Yang practice, and now Ruby and Blake know about her. But if she keeps being late, her father won't be happy...**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 4. Recovery

Weiss' father had been irked at her for making him wait in the parking lot that afternoon, but Weiss had quickly and expertly composed a believable excuse.

She'd told him her tardiness was due to a teacher calling her aside after her private music practices to commend her. Since her father now believed she'd been late because she'd been being praised, his anger dwindled away into acceptance.

Weiss knew she shouldn't make it a habit to be late, or else he might get suspicious of her. But for now, her crisis had been averted, thanks to her quick thinking.

She spent a good portion of that night lying in bed, worrying about Yang, but was confident that the volleyball player would be well taken care of now that she was at her own home as well. Instead of worrying, Weiss soon got to reminiscing the scenes of watching her play.

Yang had been absolutely radiant on the court, beaming like a ray of sunshine as she'd returned every ball and perfected every serve and strike, save for the last one. She looked like she'd been having so much fun.

Weiss had to wonder if that was what she herself looked like to Yang when she was singing. If it was, she definitely understood why Yang wanted to come and see her more often.

Weiss loved seeing her friend so lively and happy doing what she loved. She wanted to _keep_ seeing her that way.

But due to her ankle being sprained, Yang was made to sit out for practice for the rest of the week. She knew it was her own fault for trying to show off to Weiss, so she felt it was fair that she accept her punishment for boasting.

She didn't participate in practices for the rest of the week, but rather sat in the bleachers where Weiss had sat to observe the other players.

Weiss didn't come by for the rest of the week due to excessive homework, so Yang sat in the bleachers alone those few days, watching her teammates play and calling out praise or recommendations for them to help them with their techniques.

But the second that whistle blew and practice was declared over, Yang grabbed her things and headed straight for the music room.

All three remaining days that week, she found Weiss there, slaving away over projects and homework. She had so much work to do that she ended up working until her alarm all three afternoons, and didn't get a minute's worth of singing practice in. She apologized to Yang before she left that Friday afternoon.

"I know you come here to hear me sing, and I haven't been doing that," Weiss sighed, hurriedly packing up her bag.

But Yang shook her head, reaching out to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay, Weiss. I get it. You're busy. I just wish I could help you out with it all."

Weiss was quiet for a brief moment.

"It's fine. It's my work, so it's only fair that I get it done. It's my responsibility."

"And, Weiss?"

"...Yes?"

Yang gave her a smile that was timid in a way, and she couldn't maintain eye contact for very long.

"I... don't just come here to hear you sing. I come here... just so I can be with you, y'know?"

It was surprising for Weiss to hear that, even though she'd been hoping that was the truth of it all along.

Still, to have it confirmed caused her heart to flutter. She didn't know what to say in return.

But she wanted to say _something_.

She'd never had a friend like Yang before, and she wanted her to know her presence was appreciated and, most importantly, wanted.

Weiss checked the clock, determined she would still be on time if she ran a little down the halls, then quickly opened her bag and started to sort through it. Yang peeked curiously over her shoulder, then almost jumped back when Weiss suddenly popped up again.

"Here." She turned around and lightly pushed something against Yang's chest. When the blonde looked down, she realized it was a phone. Weiss elaborated. "I'd like to have your number. So I can call you to check on you. I've been worried about you these past few nights, what with your ankle and all. So if it's all right, then please..." She trailed off, looking down, embarrassed that she'd revealed the fact that she'd been so worried about Yang for so long.

But Yang was touched by her concern. Of course Ruby and her parents and Blake and her volleyball teammates had all been worried about Yang as she'd been recovering.

But none of their worrying about her made Yang feel quite the same as _Weiss'_ worrying about her.

Which was why she didn't hesitate long to swipe the screen and add a new contact into the phone.

"Sure! 'Course I will, Weiss." She tapped her name and number in, then saved it before handing it back. Weiss dipped her head and put the phone back into her bag.

"Thank you. I think it will be nice if I can message you over the weekend to see how you're doing."

"Yeah! Then I can text you back, too!" she declared with a grin.

But Weiss seemed surprised somehow, as though she hadn't fully realized until now that her texting Yang would mean that she'd be giving her own number out, in a sense, so that Yang would be able to message her back.

Yang's smile fell away as she sought out Weiss' gaze.

"Or... is that no good? Would you rather I not text you? I mean, I'll reply if you ask how I'm doing and stuff, but should I not just text you whenever about whatever?"

She understood Weiss' family life was very strict. If Yang ended up texting Weiss during the middle of supper when phones were prohibited or something, she didn't want Weiss to get in trouble.

If getting Weiss' number only meant Yang could text her if Weiss texted first, then she could accept that.

But Weiss quickly shook her head, earnest in her response.

"No, it's all right. You don't have to refrain from messaging me."

Yang checked her expression and body language. Weiss was still clearly a bit nervous about this. The blonde softened her voice.

"Hey, it's okay. I won't text you unless you text me first, 'kay? That way I'll know it's fine for us to be texting at the time. Sound good?"

The relief that came into Weiss' eyes made Yang smile again. Weiss seemed so happy that there was a simple solution to all of this.

"Yes. That sounds fine," she sighed. "Thank you for understanding, Yang."

"It's no problem."

Yang didn't know why she opened her arms then. It was just a natural motion someone did when their friend was about to leave for the day.

And Yang was a renown hugger, particularly of the people closest to her.

Her perceptive eyes didn't miss the small gasp in Weiss' chest as she realized what was being asked of her. Yang was about to recoil and apologize, but something stopped her, told her to linger just a second longer that way.

And she was glad she did.

Because Weiss stepped forward and wrapped her arms briefly around Yang's torso, hiding her face coyly into Yang's shoulder.

Yang was so shocked that she didn't even have time to put her hands down and hug her back before Weiss had pulled away again, grabbed her bag, and headed for the door.

"Have a good weekend," she called out softly, without turning back around. "I'll message you."

Yang stood there with her arms still open, watching her go.

"Yeah. You, too, Weiss."

Weiss hurried down the hallway and out of sight.

Yang needed a moment to compose herself. There was still a warmth lingering from where Weiss had touched her, where her chest had pressed softly against Yang's own.

 _Damn it. I was too slow..._

She'd _really_ wanted to hug her back.

Yang sighed aloud.

"Maybe next time..."

She picked up her own bag, and started limping to the library.

* * *

That weekend, Weiss texted her just as she'd promised to.

It was late on Saturday night, at about 10PM – which Yang knew was 'late' for Weiss, anyway. Her message was rather long-winded and professional sounding, like a doctor checking in on their patient:

 _ **Good evening, Yang.  
I'm merely messaging you to inquire about your ankle.  
Has the swelling gone down? Can you walk properly?  
Do you think you'll be able to rejoin practice again on Monday?  
Please let me know.**_

Somehow, Yang wasn't at all surprised by the way Weiss texted. Complete sentences, perfect grammar and punctuation, and she'd even given separate lines to each sentence so they'd line up and end neatly.

It was... very _Weiss_.

Yang chuckled as she sat in her room and replied:

 _ **Heya Weiss! Yeah I'm fine thanks for asking! Coach and nurse say I can go back to practice on Monday like usual! How's all your homework going? I know you have a boatload...**_

She hoped it was a good time for Weiss to be sending another reply, and so Yang waited patiently for a few minutes, hoping she hadn't messed this up already.

But thankfully, she received another text rather quickly:

 _ **It's going fine. I've already gotten most of it done.**_

With relief, Yang sent a reply:

 _ **That's great! Good job!**_

But after that, there didn't seem like there was much else to discuss. Yang felt that was good enough for their first text conversation, and she didn't want to push things.

So after wishing Weiss a good night, she wasn't surprised when there were no more responses.

* * *

By Sunday, her ankle was all better, though she still spent most of the day at home, just to make sure.

It rained that day anyway, so Yang played board games with Ruby inside, watched movies with their parents, and just took it easy in general.

By Monday, Yang was skipping merrily out to her car, ready for school, which puzzled her little sister.

"Yang, are you _that_ happy to go to school? Or are you just happy you can drive again?"

"Hmmm, well maybe not so much the first one, but definitely the second one. And even though I'm not thrilled about _school_ school, like the classes and stuff, I'm pumped to be going back to volleyball practice."

"Oh, right," Ruby mumbled. "And you're probably gonna be meeting Weiss, that soloist girl again, huh?"

Yang shrugged, playing it cool. "Maybe. Who knows?"

She wasn't about to let her little sister catch onto her.

Yang drove to Blake's house to pick her up, then brought them all to school.

All day, Yang was eager to get through her classes as per usual so she could enjoy her afternoon. The second the final bell rang, she was sprinting out the door and down the stairs to get to the gym locker rooms.

After five full days without it, she finally changed back into her volleyball uniform. It felt so nice to shed the stuffy school blazer for the lighter, more breathable material.

Her teammates all welcomed her back and urged her to take it easy today. Yang was just glad to be active again in the sport she loved.

She gave it her all that afternoon, enjoying the exercise drills and running laps alike before getting to the actual games.

Their coach reminded them they had matches against rival schools coming up in a few weeks, so it was time to start playing more seriously than ever.

Yang put in her best effort as she always did, until the healthy, familiar sweat started to coat her skin.

It was during a brief water break when she glanced to the bleachers and realized Weiss wasn't there. She sighed, a little sad, but understanding.

 _She's had a lot of work to do recently. Guess she's still swamped._

Even though Yang didn't have her own personal cheerleader that day, she still played her hardest.

By the time she was back in the locker room, there was a familiar ache in her legs and arms, one she eagerly welcomed back.

She quickly changed out of her sweaty clothes and packed them up to take home and wash. As usual, she didn't put on her long-sleeved blazer, but tied it around her skirt before heading off to the music room.

Of course, she'd been looking forward to getting back to practice today. But now, more than anything, she got through her days of school mainly just to see Weiss.

As she walked down the hallways, she didn't hear the tinkling piano keys as she so often did, so she could assume Weiss was still doing homework.

 _Yeesh, she's gotten so much recently. That's no fair..._

As she neared the music room, she slipped quietly in through the open door, not wanting to disturb Weiss when she was working. But she called out a small greeting as she always did now.

"Hey, Weiss! I'm- oh-!"

She cut off right away when she saw her.

Weiss was seated at the piano, where the case was pulled down, covering the keys. Instead of playing, she'd been doing her homework there, leaning on the hard surface for support. There was an open textbook in her lap and several papers pinned beneath her elbows.

But it was clear that Weiss wasn't doing her homework.

Hunched forward with her head resting on her arms, she was very clearly asleep.

Yang froze in her spot as she assessed the scene before her.

In all the weeks she'd been stopping by, she'd never seen Weiss fall asleep. She absolutely wasn't the type to do that, especially when she had work to finish.

An uneasy feeling crept into the pit of Yang's stomach.

 _Either she was dead tired all day today, or there's something wrong..._

Slowly, she put her bag down on one of the many empty chairs and made her way across the room. Weiss' pen was still loosely trapped between her left thumb and index finger. To Yang, it seemed as though she'd just wanted to close her eyes for a second, and it had escalated from there.

Part of her wanted to let Weiss, sleep. In fact, most of her did.

But she knew that if Weiss didn't get her work completed, she might get in trouble with her father. So Yang reached out, laying a hand gently on her back, keeping her voice low.

"Hey, Weiss?"

She shook her gently, assuming that would be enough to rouse her. Someone as high-strung as Weiss was definitely a light sleeper, or so she'd assume.

But Weiss didn't budge or make any indication that Yang had succeeded in waking her.

Yang's concern only grew when she brushed the girl's ponytail away from her shoulder and got a better look at her face. Weiss' brow was furrowed and sleek with a thin veil of dried sweat. Her pallor was definitely flushed. And when Yang kept her hand on Weiss' back for a moment, she could feel the slight rasp in her breathing.

"Aw no... c'mon, this is no fair..." Mumbling as much, Yang sat down on the bench beside Weiss and carefully shook her again. "Weiss? Hey..."

That time, Weiss stirred, gasping aloud in surprise as she jolted awake. Yang quickly slipped one arm around her shoulders, bracing the other over her stomach to keep her from falling off the bench.

"Easy! Weiss, it's me!"

"Y-Yang?" The tremble in her voice wasn't just from shock. Yang could feel her shivering. Weiss' eyes were wide with panic. "Wh-What time is it? Oh my goodness, I-I-"

"Hey, calm down!" Yang soothed her. "It's okay, Weiss. You've still got thirty minutes before your alarm goes off."

"R...Really?" Weiss believed her, but some innate, punctually-perfect part of herself demanded she check the clock anyway. She seemed to relax a bit when she realized Yang was telling her the truth. "Oh thank goodness. I... I haven't finished yet-"

"Weiss, you need to slow down." Yang kept her arms loosely around the girl, preventing her from turning back to her homework. She held Weiss' gaze seriously. "You've been working yourself too hard. You're sick."

"What?" Weiss both looked and sounded as incredulous as Yang guessed she felt. The girl shook her head. "No, no. That can't be. I've got too much work to do-"

"Weiss. Please."

"Yang, I've got to-"

" _Weiss_."

Her voice was firm and left no room for argument. Weiss might've been a witty speaker, but she was no match for a concerned big sister. She knew as much from her past experiences with Winter, and now it was clear to her that she'd never win against Yang, either.

Weiss heaved a shaky sigh, feeling a stinging frustration rise up behind her eyes.

"But I've... I've got to-"

"Rest," Yang finished for her. "You've gotta take it easy, hun. Take a breath. You've got plenty of time, okay? I promise."

Weiss' frantic eyes searched hers, finding solace in their solidarity. Weiss nodded and did as instructed, closing her eyes and drawing in a deep, steadying breath.

Yang still kept her hands braced on Weiss' back and hip, in case she swayed. But thankfully, she didn't, even though she was still shaking a little.

It took a minute for Weiss to get her bearings, but at last she opened her eyes again. She was calmer now, though evidently not for the reasons Yang had been hoping for.

"I've got to finish my work."

A bit of a growl crept into Yang's voice.

"No. Weiss, come on. Let me take you to the nurse."

"Yang, _please_."

The blonde girl swallowed thickly when Weiss started to beg her. She knew Weiss' work was pertinent to her. She'd never be able to relax unless all of her assignments were completely done. Yang looked away.

 _Damn it..._

"Fine," she sighed. "Do as much as you can. But I'm staying here with you, got it?"

Weiss dipped her head.

"That's fine... Thank you for understanding, Yang."

"...Yeah."

She wasn't happy about it, but she was going to accept the fact that Weiss would never be able to truly relax if she still had unfinished work to do.

So Yang stayed by her side as she read over her books and papers, handed her the pen when she dropped it, found the right paper and gave it to her when she needed it.

Weiss toiled away, mumbling to herself as she worked. Yang kept a hand on her back all the while.

By some stroke of luck, Weiss managed to finish her work with fifteen minutes to spare. She announced she was done with an exhausted sigh, which had Yang perking up.

"Really? You sure?"

Weiss nodded.

"Yes. I double-checked."

"All right. Okay. Lemme help you pack up then."

Yang stood from the bench and retrieved Weiss' bag, then did as she'd promised and helped her pack everything away neatly. Once they'd cleaned up, Yang coaxed Weiss to her feet, holding onto both of her hands.

"Wanna go to the nurse?"

But to her dismay, Weiss shook her head.

"No... I don't want to make father wait again."

Yang bit back a groan and an urge to say some colorful things about Weiss' father.

"Fine. But you're not doing any more work today. C'mere."

She guided Weiss over the the empty chairs and sat her down. Unlike the bench, Weiss could lean back against these for support.

Yang fetched her own bag and brought it over, then untied the blazer from around her waist. She gingerly draped it over Weiss' shivering shoulders, then took the seat next to her.

Moving as close to Weiss as possible, Yang lifted up her left arm, inviting Weiss to lean against her. The white-haired girl made no protest as she did so.

"There," Yang murmured. "Just take it easy. No pressure, all right? Just breathe."

Weiss heaved a sigh, but nodded against her shoulder. Yang smiled.

"Atta girl."

She shifted a bit as Weiss leaned into her, trying to make this as comfortable as possible for the exhausted singer.

Even though Weiss was shivering a bit, Yang could tell that her skin was feverish. She murmured an apology as she moved, reaching out with her free hand to grab her bag. She pawed through it to pull out her water bottle and handed it to her.

"Here. I drank from it a bit, but if you don't mind, I think you should have some."

Weiss straightened up a bit and accepted the bottle.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

Yang kept her arm around Weiss as she drank a few mouthfuls; clearly, she'd needed it. When she was finished, Yang patted her back as Weiss capped the bottle and returned it to her.

"Feel any better?" she wondered as she put it back into her bag.

Weiss smiled.

"A bit."

"Lemme help a bit more."

Yang managed to find the little purple handkerchief she carried in her bag. With it, she gently wiped the sweat off Weiss' forehead and face. The girl let out another deep sigh and settled against her.

For several minutes, Weiss closed her eyes and rested. Yang brushed the handkerchief over her bangs, clearing off the sides of her neck as well. She went down as far as the ribbon on Weiss' collar before putting the cloth away.

From there, Yang just held her quietly and let her rest. She could feel Weiss breathing, every inhale and exhale, and was glad the rasp from earlier had left her lungs. She slipped her hand across Weiss' back until her palm was resting against the girl's side.

Yang closed her eyes as well. When she focused, she could feel Weiss' heartbeat. It was a little fast at first, but as time went on and Weiss rested, her pulse dropped to a more stable pace.

Yang held her close, savoring their proximity.

The room was once again dyed in golden light, and the sunlight, combined with Yang's blazer and Yang herself worked together to chase away Weiss' shivers.

But as much as Yang enjoyed this precious, quiet time alone with her, she was also dreading the inevitable sound of Weiss' phone alarm that would ultimately force them apart.

For as long as she could, Yang kept close to her, rubbing her back softly. She even believed Weiss had fallen asleep there for a few minutes, pressed against her.

But of course, the alarm sounded soon enough, and Weiss soon shifted and reopened her eyes. Yang let her sit up, though she kept her hand on the small of her back just in case.

"How're you feeling?"

Weiss cleared her throat, and when she looked up at her, her eyes were much brighter than they had been twenty minutes earlier.

"I feel much better. Honestly. I think... this is exactly what I needed."

"Yeah? Naps can do wonders! I'm glad."

"I need to get going, though."

Regrettably, Weiss left the comfort of Yang's side, and Yang let her go just as regretfully.

Weiss stood, shed the borrowed blazer, and handed it back to her with a nod of gratitude. She picked up her bag and silenced her phone alarm. Yang stood as well, sad that their moment had come to an end, but glad that Weiss was feeling better.

"I don't wanna sound all high and mighty," she said. "But I think you should rest up tonight. If you're careful, you could knock this cold out by morning."

Weiss dipped her head.

"I will. I've finished all of my work, so I'll be able to relax tonight." She hesitated, still wearing that grateful smile. "Thank you, Yang. I really do mean it."

"No thanks necessary. Honest." Yang patted her shoulder again. "All you've gotta do is feel better, okay? That's your only job now, so take it seriously."

"I will." Weiss glanced to the exit doors, antsy to get going, but she hesitated a second longer, turning her gaze back to Yang's. "Goodbye, Yang."

She didn't say it in words, but Yang knew what she wanted. So she opened up her arms and invited her in.

Weiss let out a blissful sigh as she looped her arms around her neck and hugged her tight. This time, Yang managed to return the embrace.

"Bye, Weiss. See you tomorrow."

She held her for just a second longer than she needed to, but Weiss didn't mind. It seemed she'd be fine with making her father wait that extra second.

At last, they parted, and Weiss hurried out the door, leaving Yang alone in that golden room.

And even though Weiss was gone, the warmth she'd left behind still lingered.

* * *

 **A/N: They keep getting closer and closer. But how close can they get?  
**

 **Please review!**


	5. Being Honest

**The art for Chapter 4 was mashed together with this chapter's art! Link at the end!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 5. Being Honest

Even though Weiss had reassured her that she'd be fine, Yang naturally couldn't help but worry about her all that evening.

When she went to the library to fetch Ruby and Blake, she told them about what had happened with Weiss, and the others sympathized.

"You should text her!" Ruby suggested.

Blake readily agreed.

"Ruby's right. I'm sure Weiss would appreciate your checking up on her."

Yang mentally debated it all the drive home, after she'd dropped off Blake, and even all the way through supper. She didn't want to risk getting Weiss in trouble if her phone went off at a bad time. If her father knew she was texting someone he didn't know, he might get angry, accuse her of fooling around instead of studying.

Yang barely managed to plow through her own homework that night before she plopped onto her bed and hugged her knees to her chest, pouting.

"It's not fair. I should be able to text her to see how she's doing without worrying about this..."

She glanced at her alarm clock. 9:35PM was late enough, wasn't it? Weiss would most likely be in her room getting ready for bed. Yang could assume with relative ease that her father wouldn't be anywhere close by enough to hear a phone's vibration.

Therefore, Yang steeled herself and typed out her message.

 _ **Evening, Weiss! Just wanted to check and see how you were doing.**_

She sent her text and a little prayer along with it. _Please don't let her dad find out!_

Only after the deed had been done did Yang start to fret. What if Weiss was asleep right now, trying to rest and recuperate, and the message Yang had just sent woke her up? Yang smacked her face into her pillow.

"Agh, damn it!"

But to her surprise, she didn't beat herself up for long. It was only a few minutes later when she received a response from Weiss, and it was rather pacifying.

 _ **Good evening, Yang.  
I'm sorry for not texting you first.  
I should've let you know earlier, but I'm all right.  
It turns out I was just a bit dehydrated and fatigued, but it's nothing serious!  
I'll be back in school tomorrow, so I look forward to seeing you then!**_

As Yang read her message, a lopsided grin started spreading across her lips. _Oh, thank god._

She chuckled as she entertained the thought that reading a late-night text from a sick Weiss somehow felt like reading a professional email from a very stern teacher.

As she amused herself with the thought of Weiss lecturing a bunch of children about table manners, Yang typed up a speedy reply.

 _ **I'm so glad to hear that, you have no idea! I hope you feel better ASAP!**_

Thinking their conversation was over, Yang put her phone aside on the bedside table and flicked off her lamp, letting out a long sigh that took all of her worries with it. But a minute later, her phone buzzed one last time. She squinted at the dark and read:

 _ **Thank you, Yang.**_

And Weiss didn't have to specify in order for Yang to knew what she'd meant.

Not only was she expressing gratitude for Yang's act of wishing her well, but also too for the fact that Yang had texted her tonight at all.

Yang chose to only send back a single emoji as a response, but she didn't choose randomly. She made sure to choose the little yellow sun, to remind Weiss of their time together in the music room.

As Yang laid down for bed that night, all she could think about was Weiss.

* * *

Ever since she'd met Weiss, Yang had become impatient with the school days due to how quickly she wanted to get through them so she could see her friend again.

But she was more impatient the next day than ever before, even more than the days she knew Weiss would be coming with her to see her volleyball practice. On those days, she'd be excited and thrilled.

But today, Yang was jittery and anxious all day long, up until the very last serve of the volleyball. She was hardly surprised to find that Weiss hadn't attended her practice today, so Yang rushed to get changed, tied her blazer around her skirt as always, grabbed her bag, and made a mad dash for the music room.

Thankfully, unlike yesterday, it wasn't just silence that greeted her in the hallway this time. Rather, there was that familiar tinkling of the piano being carried on the air. A smile spread across Yang's lips instantly as she quickened her pace just a little bit.

When she arrived at the door, she knocked five times, which was her private way of telling Weiss it was her and not anyone else.

Yang was so relieved to see her.

Weiss was seated at the piano as she always was, back straight and poised. One shoe was tapping softly against the floor along with the beat of the music, and she was swaying contentedly along with the tune as she glided her fingers over the keys.

The song was just ending as Yang dropped her bag into one of the chairs and hurried over to the girl at the piano, arms open wide.

"Weiss!" She was too elated and relieved _not_ to call out to her, voice laden with excitement.

Weiss was just turning to face her when Yang skidded to a halt, her knees bumping lightly against the side of the bench. Yang froze before she could cover the last few inches between them, realizing she was being hasty.

Weiss looked up at her, clearly surprised, but very happy. Yang shook herself off to take her eagerness down a notch, but failed to get rid of the smile.

"Sorry! I'm just so glad to see you... I mean, I'm _always_ glad to see you. You know that. What I mean is, I'm glad you're okay. Well, I'm always glad to see that you're okay, too. Wh-What I mean is-"

"Yang, calm down." Weiss lifted her hand to her mouth to conceal a chuckle. "I understand what you mean perfectly."

"You do? Oh, that's good. Cause I don't know what the heck I'm saying. I just-"

"Yang?" she said calmly, a knowing gleam in her eyes. Weiss lifted up her arms invitingly, leaving no room for questions.

A sound that was half-whimper, half-sigh tumbled from Yang's lips as she sat down on the bench and pulled Weiss into her arms without a second thought.

For a split second, she thought she was being too needy. Weiss had only had a small, harmless cold yesterday. What if Yang was overreacting about being so relieved?

But those concerns were erased right away as Weiss squeezed her back, sighing softly. It was clear she'd wanted this just as badly as Yang had.

Assured everything was all right, Yang held her close for a second longer, then eased back to meet her eyes. They were back to their usual brightness, blue as the sky and clever as her personality. Yang knew the grin on her own mouth must've looked totally goofy, but she couldn't push it away. She was just too indescribably happy.

"Phew..." she whistled. "I'm so glad you're all better. Thank god it didn't last long and interfere with your health. Did you get all your homework and stuff finished yesterday?" She knew Weiss had told her she that she had, but Yang just wanted to be sure.

Weiss presented her with a lovely smile and nodded.

"Yes. I'm all caught up on my work. And actually, I had my last test today, so I shouldn't be getting such a crazy workload like that for a while now!"

"That's great! You of all people deserve a break."

A faint dusting of pink rose up on Weiss' cheeks, and she looked down to the piano keys.

"Thank you, Yang. For taking care of me yesterday and for checking up on me."

"Hey, don't mention it. I'm just glad I didn't text you at a bad time. I was worried."

"It's all right. I..." She flashed Yang a nervous glance, but the smile curling her lips told Yang nothing bad would come from this. "I actually... told my father about you a bit."

"You _did?_ " Yang's jaw almost hit the floor as she straightened up immediately. Eyes wide, she floundered for words. "I-I, you- I mean, wh-what did he say? Is he-"

"He's not mad, first of all," Weiss assured her. "I was a bit nervous at first as well. But he said as long as it's not interfering with my grades, seeing a friend after school sometimes shouldn't be an issue. I was sort of surprised, too. I didn't think he'd accept me doing something like this. Though I _did_ tweak the truth a bit and say I only met with you a few days a week, not every weekday."

"Hey, that's okay! It's not like you're lying or anything," Yang reasoned. "Because technically, you _do_ see me a few days a week. You just see me... a few _other_ days a week, too. And that just so happens to make all five of them!"

Her declaration actually elicited a laugh from Weiss.

"You know, I'd never thought about it that way. But you're absolutely right."

It earned a small chuckle from the both of them, and the mood lifted a little higher. Yang leaned her elbow on the ebony support of the piano, sighing.

"Yeah, I'm just glad you're all right now. I figured your dad would've freaked out if his prodigy got sick or something major like that."

She'd meant for it to be a casual comment, one to sort of wrap up this conversation and possibly transition into another one.

But in contrast to her own laid-back tone, Weiss' responding one was suddenly tight.

"...Right. Of course." Clearing her throat, she looked away, back down to the piano. "Let me get started on my next piece, then."

But Yang could automatically sense there was something wrong that hadn't been amiss three seconds ago. Which meant she'd done something.

"W-Wait! Hold on a sec." She reached out to cover the back of Weiss' hand before her fingers could press down on the keys.

Weiss paused, but couldn't bring herself to look up just yet. Yang felt a sickening feeling twist in her stomach, like the sensation she felt when she'd almost slipped down on a stair. It was weighted and immediate, and she didn't like it. Because she knew she'd upset Weiss just now.

As she recalled now, it had happened the first afternoon she'd met her, too. Yang hadn't been able to recognize why it had upset Weiss at the time, or what _it_ even was.

But now she knew. It just clicked suddenly.

In that instant, her jaw hung slack but no sound escaped her mouth as she tried to fumble for words. Weiss flashed a glance at her with nervous eyes that couldn't hold her gaze.

"Yang, it's fine. I know you-"

"No. No, it's _not_ fine, Weiss."

One of her hands was still covering Weiss', so she used her free hand to comb back through her own bangs, something she often did when she was anxious. When she was done, she straightened her back a little and let out a long sigh, then sought Weiss' eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize it before. I didn't mean it like that, Weiss. Honest."

Silently, she begged for Weiss to look her in the eye. If she didn't, Yang felt like their friendship would be tarnished by her own thoughtless mistake.

But Weiss was much stronger than that. She raised her head, and those two pools of blue lifted to meet lavender once again.

"Yang, it's fine," she repeated. "I know you didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry I reacted this way. I should be able to control myself better by know. I didn't mean to make you feel guilty."

"It's not _your_ fault," Yang insisted. "You're just reacting naturally. That's totally normal. It's _my_ fault for not thinking and saying something like that. _Again_." Her grip on the back of Weiss' hand tightened, and she bit her lip angrily. Weiss slipped her own hand free to lay it over Yang's now, stroking her thumb across her knuckles soothingly.

"Yang, I understand. It's not easy for people to look at me and see anything other than my father's talented little prodigy. People call me that all the time. My classmates, my teachers, even my own family members. I'm used to it. I shouldn't be reacting this way anymore. I'm sorry."

"No!" Yang raised her voice on accident, and quickly brought it back down. "No, Weiss. It's not _you_ who should change your reaction to it. You shouldn't have to hide or suppress what you're feeling for other peoples' sakes. It's the _rest_ of us who should be more considerate when we talk about that part of your life."

"It's really fine," Weiss assured her. She was trying to smile, but Yang could tell it wasn't genuine. Weiss closed her eyes and plastered on that grin, hiding her true emotions. "I'm going to sound so conceited when I say this, but I guess I _am_ sort of a gifted person, aren't I? It's difficult for people to see anything more than that."

"No..." Yang whispered. "Weiss, no." She reached out to her, brushing her fingertips lightly over Weiss' shoulder, coaxing her to open her eyes. Blue locked with lavender, and this time, neither of them looked away. Yang continued in a low, private tone, only for her.

"That's why I'm apologizing, Weiss. Because you're _not_ just some prodigy kid to me. You're _not_ just some talented girl who performs a lot of amazing solos and gets the highest grades in the school. I mean... you _are_ all of those things, but... but you're also so much _more_. At least to me."

In the silence that followed, Weiss' fingers subconsciously curled over the backs of Yang's hand. Her nails tickled Yang's skin as she found soft purchase there, suggesting she didn't want to move, didn't want to drop the conversation here.

Slowly, Yang flipped her hand over, so they were palm-to-palm now. She angled her hand and Weiss' just a little bit differently, so that their fingers now fit together, interlocking.

Weiss took a moment to absorb everything Yang had just told her. She'd never been recognized for anything other than her talents before, especially not by someone her own age. Her classmates were either jealous of her, or if they weren't, then they certainly didn't take note of anything else about her other than her talents.

Her heart started to pound more quickly, and she squeezed Yang's fingers - uncertain. Her eyes started flicking around the room again as she tried to take it all in.

Yang didn't rush her. She used her other hand on Weiss' shoulder to comb through the girl's ponytail, silently telling her it was okay to take her time.

But Weiss didn't want to keep her waiting. She only took a few more seconds before she ultimately found Yang's eyes again. Taking a deep breath, she finally gave a reply.

"So you... you said that I'm... _more_ than just a prodigy child. To you. What... exactly what else _am_ I?"

Yang searched her eyes for a second. She could tell right away Weiss wasn't just asking this because she wanted to be praised and have her ego boosted.

It was entirely the opposite. Weiss was genuinely confused.

In all her life, she'd never been recognized for anything other than her talents. She couldn't even comprehend what _else_ there was that Yang might've seen in her.

The blonde shook her head, a little disbelieving that she'd be the first person to appreciate Weiss for something other than her obvious talents. She tightened her grip on Weiss' hand and on her shoulder, taking in a breath.

"Heh... Well, where do I even start?"

She wasn't so confident about her speech, but she _was_ very sure about the things she wanted to say. So she tried not to dwell on things for too long. She just said them.

"Like I said, you're not just some prodigy with a gorgeous voice that puts angels to shame. I mean, you _are_ that. But you're other things, too. You're super smart, obviously, hardworking, passionate. And you're also just a super nice person."

With every word out of her mouth, Weiss' cheeks took on a pinker and pinker hue, and her heart beat just a little bit faster each second. She was having difficulty looking Yang in the eye, but especially at the last comment, she made sure to.

"Nice? You... think I'm nice?"

Yang was shocked. "Absolutely! Who wouldn't?"

"...All of my classmates, it seems. They just assume I'm distant because I'd prefer to get my work done rather than fool around."

"That's because they're _assuming!_ " Yang declared. "They don't actually _know_ you. They never bothered to, did they?"

Weiss didn't reply, but that was enough of an answer. Yang squeezed her hand tighter. When she went on, it was in a much more reserved voice.

"You can't make judgements about yourself based on the assumptions of people who don't actually _know_ anything about you. You're a super nice and considerate person. I mean, when I hurt my ankle, _you_ were the one to jump up and rush over and take me to the nurse. You're the sweetest girl I've ever met. And..."

For this, she made sure to make eye contact, and present a big, hearty smile.

"You mean a lot to me, Weiss."

It was such a simple statement to say, but so profound to hear. Weiss' breath hitched in her throat. Her heart that had been beating so quickly until now came to a sudden stop.

She'd... never been told anything like that before in all her life. Not by someone who wasn't her own big sister, anyway.

Of course, there was a basic level of assumption that the people around her would care if something happened to her, that they recognized her existence in regards to their own.

But...

But no one had ever explicitly _told_ or _showed_ Weiss that they cared about her before. Not like this.

Tears were beginning to rise up behind her eyes. She bowed her head, tried to blink them back, her hand trembling against Yang's.

Yang held tightly to her fingers, steadying her, wanting her to know what she was saying was the truth. Weiss' free hand found its way to Yang's knee and rested there, as if to help keep herself upright.

Yang let her have as much time as she needed to take all this in. But she was anxious for some kind of reply, worried that maybe she'd said something wrong. She started to chew on her bottom lip, shuffling her shoes beneath the bench. But when she started to feel warm drops of water on her knees, she couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"Weiss?" With concern thick in her voice, she leaned forward a bit, trying to seek Weiss' eyes. "Hey, a-are you okay?"

The girl nodded right away, sniffling as she straightened herself up once more. Despite the tears rolling steadily down her cheeks, there was a wobbly smile on her lips.

"Yang..."

Her voice was so soft, just like everything else about her right now, her hair, her hands...

Yang inhaled slowly and held her gaze.

"Yeah?"

She watched as Weiss, too, drew in a deep breath.

"Could you... show me...? Show me how much I mean to you...?"

She feared it was a selfish request, and almost felt bad for making it. But she trusted Yang not to misinterpret her.

And of course, Yang could read her like a book.

She knew exactly what Weiss meant.

Weiss wasn't testing her, asking her for proof of her friendship, as if Yang needed to be worthy of such a thing. Not at all.

Weiss simply wanted to know.

She wanted to know the extent of their friendship, of what Yang felt for her.

A hug would've demonstrated a clear answer.

But Yang didn't give her that. She wanted to be honest, and she wanted Weiss to be honest, too.

She dipped her head, closed her eyes, and leaned forward. Her breath fanned out warmly against Weiss' lips.

The singer closed her eyes as well, breathed her in, and counted the beats of her heart.

At that moment, the sun shifted in the way that was unique to this room alone. It slipped down over the top rim of the window sill and started to leak in, illuminating the room in a glorious, warm glow.

Weiss' hair was painted in pale sunlit strands, while Yang's lit up like vibrant yellow fireworks.

Their kiss was soft, warm, and golden.

It lasted for as long as that dazzling light did.

When the sunlight began to shift, and the room returned to its usual, creamy color, the two girls pulled away. Their fingers squeezed together over the ivory piano keys, causing a single note of music to fill the air.

Hearts soaring, they opened their eyes once again, winter blue ponds meeting with springtime morning skies.

Simply dazzling.

Their mouths were sore, not from the kiss, but from smiling so much. They longed to speak, but were fine with being speechless. Just for now.

The hands that were entwined on the piano, they kept there. Yang moved her other hand around Weiss' shoulders, and Weiss moved hers to Yang's hip.

Sharing a quiet giggle of excitement and delight, they pulled each other close, resting their foreheads together, noses brushing, cheeks pink.

They stayed that way for a while, engraving the moment into their fluttering hearts. It felt like filling in the blank spots on a canvas, painting it with colors more vibrant than any that already existed on it.

They said nothing, not until Weiss' alarm went off, and the two girls ultimately parted. They grabbed their bags and shared one last hug, as if nothing especially different had happened here today.

But it was a mutual feeling, this enthrallment, this cheerful, indescribable giddiness.

They could talk about it tomorrow.

But for that now, and for the remainder of that evening, they just _enjoyed_ it.

* * *

 **A/N: I wanted to put an emphasis on wordlessness in this scene. Far too often people (and these characters) talk and think too much. I wanted to focus on the doing, living in the moment~**

 **Accompanying artwork for this chapter can be found at:** **azure-zer0,tumblr,com/post/162882977963**

 **Please review!**


	6. Fruits Of Labor

**I'm glad you were all excited about the kiss. I loved writing it~**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 6. Fruits Of Labor

They kept their relationship private for the next week or so.

Since they rarely ever saw each other for more than a second in the hallways during daytime hours at school, both Weiss and Yang couldn't describe just how badly they anticipated the end of the day now.

The day right after their first kiss, things had been a little awkward.

Yang had half-skipped, half-stumbled into the music room that afternoon, more eager than ever to see Weiss, but also more nervous than ever. She'd tiptoed in, heart already soaring a million miles an hour as she'd entered, finding Weiss with her back to her, playing the piano.

It had been such a familiar scene, Yang had temporarily forgotten that she needed to see it any differently than normal.

Weiss had glimpsed her and invited her over, and instead of sitting in the seats behind Weiss, Yang now took the bench seat beside her. After the first song had ended, Weiss had greeted her, asked her about her day, and then answered the same questions for Yang.

And once all the basic pleasantries had been exchanged, there was little else to do other than gaze into each other's eyes and lean in for another kiss.

From there, it was no surprise the rest of their afternoons took on a slight twist to their usual schedule. In between songs, Weiss would take a few minutes for a break, during which she'd loop her arms around Yang's neck and indulge herself in her lips.

And although Yang very much enjoyed hearing her sing and play her music, she had to admit she was starting to enjoy the intermissions a lot more.

They eased the romantic things into their routine, until the tight hugs and long kisses also became part of their "normal" afternoons.

It wasn't too difficult for Weiss to keep things a secret from her father. He'd often ask her about that _friend_ she'd mentioned seeing after school, but Weiss would only ever give him brief answers, never once suggesting they were anything more than acquaintances.

But it wasn't that simple for Yang. Especially on those first few days, when she'd skipped and jumped her way up the staircases and ran all the way down the hallways, skidding to a breathless halt outside the library where Ruby and Blake were waiting for her, it had been easy for them to tell something was going on.

Ruby was more confused than anything, but Blake seemed to have an inkling right away.

But no matter what they asked or how often they asked it, Yang didn't give away any details.

Even when Blake once hit the nail right on the head and asked, "Did something _happen_ with Weiss?"

Yang had kept her cool and just shrugged. "Not really."

She'd thought it was a convincing lie, and after that, she made it through her days driving Ruby and Blake to and from school believing she was in the clear. But it didn't stay that way for long.

It was _that_ season now, the season where all the choir and band concerts were being held, and all the big sports games were underway.

Yang still had her practices the same time every day after school. But later in the evenings, after players had had a chance to go home, nap, eat dinner, and prepare themselves, they'd all return several hours later for games against other schools.

Sometimes they needed to travel to other towns or schools for away-games, and sometimes they returned to their own school for home-games.

On the days where she had a game later that night, Yang's practices tended to run longer, and would therefore encroach upon her time with Weiss a little. But she was always sure to text her in order to compensate lost time. She really wished Weiss would be able to attend just one of her games, especially if they were home-games played at Beacon High.

But Weiss had told her that her father didn't see any point in Weiss' attending such events and wouldn't approve of her going. So she simply settled for hearing about the games from Yang that night in text messages, or from her directly the next day after school.

Unlike Yang who had a game every other week now, Weiss only had one major upcoming performance.

During the school-wide choir concert, she'd been given the biggest, most complicated solo, and therefore her instructors during the day were pulling her aside several times a day in order to work with her. And in the afternoons when she was alone, she'd practice and sing that solo more than anything else.

Both of them became a lot busier, but they made it work, somehow. On the days when Yang knew she'd be staying overtime for her volleyball practices, she'd text Weiss beforehand to let her know as much. Then, Weiss would know the best times when she should focus on her solo practice, knowing she wouldn't be interrupted.

But on the normal days when neither of them had anything particularly pressing to do, they'd take it easy and enjoy themselves in one another's company.

Yang particularly made sure to enjoy her time together with Weiss for as long as possible, because in a few more weeks, the choir concert would be approaching, and she didn't want to bother Weiss as much as she did now.

As the week went on, Yang eventually told her as much one afternoon, right after Weiss had finished a song.

"Hey, Weiss?" She reached out and placed a hand on her girlfriend's knee. "With the concert comin' up real soon, I feel I should let you be these next few days. Maybe I shouldn't come in?"

Weiss was clearly shocked by the suggestion, and her eyes widened in dismay.

"That shouldn't be necessary," she said right away. "My father did say that he wants me to focus all of my free time after school now on perfecting my solo. But even I can't whittle away close to an hour a day just singing the same old thing. I'll need to take breaks every now and again." She offered a small smile.

Yang understood the invitation right away, and gratefully accepted.

"Okay. So then when you're taking a break, I'll come in and help you... relax."

"Right," Weiss affirmed, leaning a bit closer. "It'd be nice if I could have someone help me catch my breath."

"Or steal it away~"

Weiss rolled her eyes, but was already pressing her lips over Yang's, sharing a deep kiss.

So they did as they'd said they would.

For the final week or so before Weiss' concert, Yang would stay outside in the hallway to listen to her. It wasn't the same as watching her and being in the same room as her, but Yang was with Weiss frequently enough now to be able to envision exactly what she looked like as she played and sang; every ruffle in her blazer when she moved her arm or shoulder to reach the keys, every long strand of silver hair that would sway from her ponytail as she moved, every glimpse of her perfect face as she turned ever-so-slightly to one side or the other...

And as soon as the music stopped and she heard the telltale _click_ of the piano key cover being pulled down, Yang was on her feet, hurrying inside to spend some quality time with Weiss.

That final week before the concert was stressful for Weiss. Even though she'd done her fair share of solos before, this one was rather extensive and complex, and a lot of people were putting a lot of pressure onto her to do well.

Sometimes, when Yang came in to sit beside her, she'd notice Weiss' breath get clipped whenever the anxieties became too great for her to handle alone. During times like those, Yang would just pull her into a big hug and hold her there, whispering reassurances that Weiss would be fine, that she'd be so amazing and astound the entire audience with her skill.

She repeated those things to Weiss in spoken words and in text messages until Weiss truly, truly believed them.

And at last, the day of the concert finally arrived.

That afternoon, Yang waited outside in the hallway until the very end of Weiss' practicing. Only when Weiss was beginning to pack up her bag did Yang enter and pull the girl right into her arms.

"Hey," she murmured, squeezing her from behind. "How're you doing? You feelin' okay?"

Weiss inhaled slowly, steadily.

"Yes. I know I'll do just fine. I've practiced so hard and for so long. I want to make this a success."

"You will," Yang assured her. "You always do."

"Thank you, Yang." Weiss tilted her head back for a kiss, and Yang happily gave it. She let Weiss go, promising to see her again that evening.

Luckily for Yang, Ruby was in the school's band on clarinet, so Yang had a perfect excuse to come to the concert tonight, without having to explain to people that she was also there for the pretty choir soloist.

That evening, Ruby showered while their mother washed her school uniform, since she would have to wear it again for the concert tonight.

Yang took a risk and dared to text Weiss good luck wishes and reminders to take deep breaths, both during her solo as well as beforehand.

Concert nights were always a little hectic, and time seemed to fly by from the time Yang got home with Ruby that afternoon, to the time they were back at school later that evening.

While Ruby went to join the rest of the band backstage, Yang found a seat in the auditorium. Her parents sat off to one side of her while Blake filled the seat at her other side.

The band concert would be happening first, and then the choir would perform. At the very end, their final piece would consist of the band and choir together, and that was the piece where Weiss had her big solo.

For the first hour of the concert, Yang sat happily listening to Ruby's band play their selection, always cheering and clapping whenever they finished a song.

Then it changed from instruments to voices as the choir took over. They walked onstage, line by line, filling in the rows of bleachers that had previously been vacant. The band members all sat down and held onto their instruments, giving their full attention to the choir.

Yang spotted Weiss in the middle of the last line to enter, the line that stood in front; she'd need to be able to get to the microphone easily for her solo.

For the majority of the concert, Yang sat back and relaxed, enjoying the performance. She rarely – if ever – took her eyes off Weiss, who was clearly in her element up there, enjoying every single note she sang.

Like the band, the choir's sound was very strong, supported, and pleasant, to the point where it almost sounded professional to a certain degree. A round of applause went up as they finished their current song.

Then, their final song was announced. The band was ordered to prepare for the joint piece.

Yang watched as Weiss stepped down from her ranks and approached the microphone. She stood with poise and confidence, knowing the next moment in time would be hers and hers alone.

No one else sang. No instruments played.

All eyes were upon her now.

For all the times Yang had told Weiss to breathe, now Yang herself was the one holding her breath.

She'd heard Weiss sing this solo a million times before. She knew just how good she was.

But when that cue was given, and Weiss started singing onstage in front of thousands of people, nothing could ever compare to it.

Her voice carried out around the entire room, ringing pristinely clear even as far as the back wall. She annunciated every note perfectly, supported every consonance, breathed in all the right places.

In just a few seconds, she mesmerized a room filled with people, as though she'd cast magic upon them.

Spellbound, Yang and everyone around her got lost in the sound of her flawless voice for a solid moment in time.

And then, as quickly as it had enraptured them, the band began playing, and other voices joined in. Weiss dipped her head and stepped back in line to continue singing the rest of the finale song.

Yang could sense that everyone else was equally as dumbfounded as she was. They'd never heard Weiss practice singing that solo before, so she understood everyone else must have been ten times as flabbergasted as she was – and Yang was still pretty darn flabbergasted.

She didn't pull her eyes away from Weiss, but she could still glimpse Blake at her side. Her best friend's jaw was hanging open, and her eyes were wide. Yang knew the rest of the audience looked much the same. Perhaps even Weiss' own father was impressed.

By the time the final note was sung and played, everyone in the room was enthralled. The subsequent applause was immediate and almost deafening. One by one, the audience members stood up to clap, but Yang was convinced that no one clapped harder than she did.

Her eyes were still glued to Weiss, who was being hugged and congratulated by a few of her fellow choir members. She then cast her gaze around the audience until she met Yang's.

They shared a private smile across the room - very brief, but very meaningful.

A moment later, the choir needed to file offstage, and Yang lost sight of her. That gave her a minute to slump back down into her seat and let it all sink in.

"Holy crap..."

Blake sat back down beside her.

"I'll say. That Weiss girl was amazing. Have you ever heard her sing before?"

"Yeah, all the time," Yang confessed without thinking. "But never like _that_."

"Really?" Blake mused. "I would've thought that she would've let you listen. You know, considering the fact that you spend every afternoon alone together with her down in the music room."

"Wha-?" Yang whipped around to face her, waving her hands. "Shhh! Keep your voice down! Do you want the whole school to know?"

"Do _you?_ " Blake teased. "I mean, you were making puppy-dog eyes at her throughout the whole concert, Yang. You weren't exactly being subtle."

"Shut up!" Yang threw herself forward onto the shared arm rest of hers and Blake's chairs, burying her face in her arms. "You knew. I _knew_ you knew, but still I-"

"Yang, calm down. It's not the end of the world. I mean, it's about time, really. You've liked her for a lot longer than you think you have, I'll tell you that much."

"What? How would you-"

But Blake just shook her head and stood up again.

"It's time to go." She offered Yang her hand and helped her up. Then, Blake lowered her voice and whispered with a smile. "Don't worry. You were only obvious enough for your best friend to notice. Not your little sister or anyone else."

Blake had just wanted to have a little fun. But before Yang could fret too much, Blake made certain to reassure her so she wouldn't freak out. Yang let out a heavy sigh and slumped into Blake's arms.

"Damn it, Blake..."

"Sorry."

"Just... don't say anything yet, yeah?"

"Of course."

When they parted, Yang gave her friend a relieved smile, silently thanking her for the support.

Finally, they shuffled their way out of the aisle to join Yang's parents and waited for Ruby to come down. She scurried out a few minutes later, clarinet case in-hand, jittery and excited.

"Phew! Soooo? How was it, guys? Was it awesome? Wasn't Weiss amazing? Yang, did you know she could sing like that?"

"Uh, n-not really." Yang grinned sheepishly as she tried to steer the conversation elsewhere, especially with her parents listening. "But hey, the band was totally rad. You guys nailed every song! Good job, Ruby!" She pulled her little sister in and ruffled her hair affectionately.

From there, she and Ruby said goodnight to Blake, who went back to her own parents. Yang kept glancing around through the crowds as they left the school, but she failed to spot Weiss again. She got the urge to text her, but knew Weiss' father was probably with her now, be it walking with her or driving her home.

So Yang held off until later that night, when she was lying in bed with the lights off. She was just beginning to type out a message when her phone buzzed first. It was Weiss, of course:

 _ **What did you think of my solo? How was it? Be honest.**_

Yang grinned and deleted what she'd been typing, and instead responded to the question:

 _ **Weiss, you know the answer to that. You were absolutely incredible! Perfect! And I'm NOT just sayin that becuz you're my girlfriend, I swear.**_

She sent that message, then typed out a more serious one.

 _ **So... what did your dad and sister think...?**_

It took Weiss a minute to respond to that, and Yang found herself holding her breath yet again. But Weiss' reply was only positive.

 _ **My sister was highly impressed. I'm so happy she was pleased with me. As for my father,**_ _**he said I did very well. He had nothing to tell me except praise. That's very rare for him. I'm so glad they both liked it.**_

Yang was so relieved that Weiss had gotten her father's approval for once. It would take a load of stress off of Weiss, especially now that the big concert was over. Now, she'd be able to go back to her less extensive practices, where she could enjoy herself a bit more.

Yang typed back a quick reply.

 _ **That's great to hear, Weiss. I mean it. You deserve it after how hard you worked. I'm so proud of you.**_

Again, Weiss took a moment to respond.

 _ **Thank you, Yang. Really.**_

For a moment, Yang simply curled up in bed and relished this feeling of accomplishment. Weiss' big night that she'd been practicing so diligently for had finally come to fruition and ended well. She couldn't wait to see her again after school tomorrow. Yang planned to give her the biggest hug and kiss ever.

She was getting ready to text Weiss a goodnight message when her girlfriend beat her to it again.

 _ **Now we just have your big match coming up on Friday. I know you'll do wonderfully, Yang.**_

Yang smiled, hoping her reply would tell Weiss how happy she was.

 _ **Thanks, Weiss! I can't wait to see you tomorrow! Good job again!**_

 _ **Thank you, Yang. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.**_

 _ **Night!**_

At last, Yang put her phone aside and closed her eyes. When she did, all she could see was Weiss, replaying the memories of her impeccable performance until she felt her conscious slipping away.

All that night, she just dreamed about how many time she'd kiss her tomorrow.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, Weiss' big performance ended nicely! Yang's is up next!**

 **Art for this chapter can be found at : azure-zer0,tumblr,com/post/** **163152466483**

 **Please review!**


	7. Surprise Victories

**With Weiss' concert over, Yang's big game is coming up! But will Weiss even be able to attend?**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 7. Surprise Victories

The day after the band and choir concert, Yang had a particularly long afternoon's worth of volleyball practice.

Their coach kept reminding them over and over again how well they'd been doing so far this season. But the school and team they'd be facing in tomorrow night's home-game match was a team Beacon hadn't beat in a decade.

Of course, Yang wanted to win just as badly as the rest of her teammates did, but if they didn't come out on top, it wasn't really the end of the world.

She gave her full attention to her extended practice that afternoon, but was antsy to get released so she could run down to the music room.

Texting Weiss last night hadn't really sufficed. She wanted to see her in person now.

When at last the coach blew his whistle and dismissed the exercise-worn team, Yang jogged to her locker in the changing room, peeled off her sweaty volleyball uniform, stuffed it into her gym bag, pulled on her skirt and undershirt, and tied the blazer around her waist within a matter of seconds. She wished her teammates goodbye for the afternoon, then with her mussed ponytail swaying, whipped around and hurried out the doors.

Even though she was sore and aching from practice, she pushed herself to make it to the music room. But there was no tinkling piano filling the air today, and for an instant, Yang was dismayed to think she'd missed Weiss this time around.

But as she skidded to a halt in the doorway, she was relieved to see her girlfriend sitting in one of the empty chairs, back straight as she read over a heavy textbook. However, the second Yang laid eyes on her, Weiss lifted her face, a bright, gleeful smile already curling its way onto her lips.

"Ya-"

" _Weiss!_ "

Before her girlfriend could even finish saying Yang's one-syllable name, the blonde had dashed across the room and thrown her arms around her where she sat. Weiss was half-pulled to her feet, the textbook falling sideways out of her lap as she sputtered in surprise.

"Y-Yang!"

"Weiss~! Ahhh finally! I'm so glad I can finally see you again! It feels like it's been months!"

Once Weiss had gotten her bearings, she smiled again and returned Yang's hug softly.

"It's been twenty-four hours, you oaf. Fewer than that if you consider the fact that you saw me last night at the concert."

"Which you were absolutely totally super amazing at!" Yang reminded her.

"Flatterer."

"No, I really mean it! You've been working so hard practicing those songs by yourself, and _especially_ that solo! Last night really went to show just how dedicated and passionate you are about your singing! I kinda wish other people knew just how much time and effort you put into practicing for it."

Her endless string of compliments was beginning to make Weiss' cheeks flare red. She turned her face to hide into the crook of Yang's shoulder.

"Yang..."

"I mean it!"

"I know you do," Weiss murmured. "I just need a moment to take it all in." She clung to the back of Yang's ruffled shirt, fingers playing idly through her messy ponytail. Yang squeezed her closer, savoring the moment with her.

It was already time for the sun to begin slanting in through the windows, and the entire room was filled with warm, golden light once again. Yang had been admiring the way it mixed into Weiss' silver hair when her girlfriend finally took a deep breath and pulled away.

"You good?" Yang wondered.

"Yes," Weiss affirmed. She moved her hands up to balance them on either side of Yang's face, then gently coaxed her down. Yang dipped down as Weiss strained onto her tip-toes, closing her eyes as she eased Yang into a long-lasting kiss.

Weiss could feel the places where Yang's practicing had caused her clothes to become a little warm from the sweat. It was a foreign feeling to Weiss, but she didn't mind it. She liked to think of it as a special thing she'd only ever feel being this close to her girlfriend.

And Yang was savoring Weiss' cooler breath, the slight taste of lunchtime coffee still lingering on her lips. She drank Weiss in, working her mouth softly in time with hers.

Occasionally they'd pull apart, catch their breath, gaze into each other's eyes, and then gradually – inevitably – be drawn back together.

It lasted until the sun's brightest rays had shifted their way out of the room, leaving it in its usual, pale color once again.

Yang pulled herself away, panting slightly now. Weiss' cheeks were flushed too, though she seemed to be catching her breath a lot more easily.

"Geez..." the blonde mumbled. "Guess all that singing trains you for other things too, huh?"

Weiss shrugged.

"Perhaps."

With that, they sat down side by side in the two closest chairs. Weiss picked up her fallen textbook and smoothed out the pages before slipping it into her bag.

"Sorry," Yang said sheepishly. "I just got so excited to see you today."

"I could tell," Weiss mused good-heartedly. "I was excited to see you, too. I've got something to tell you."

"Oh, really?"

"I think you'll be surprised."

"Shoot."

Yang was getting more and more curious by the second. Judging by the way Weiss was having trouble keeping the smile off her face, she could tell it was going to be great news. Weiss leaned forward, taking both of Yang's hands in hers and squeezing with vigor.

"I'll be coming to your big volleyball match tomorrow night!"

Her declaration stunned Yang into silence for a solid ten seconds. Her jaw dropped, and her eyes widened until it hurt.

"What? _Seriously?!_ " Incredulous and exuberant, Yang's hands trembled in disbelief as she interlocked her fingers with Weiss'. "Y-You really mean it? Your old man's letting you come?"

Weiss straightened up her posture a bit, puffing her chest out proudly as she raised her chin in triumph.

"I made him see things from my perspective. My concert is over and I don't have a lot of homework to do these days. I've no reason to practice so rigorously anymore as I have been until now. He agreed that I deserve a bit of a break. So long as I hand in all of my assignments on time, he'll be fine with me coming to see your volleyball game tomorrow night. Additionally..."

Yang was so enthralled about this news she was shocked to hear there was more. Eagerly, she nodded, indicating for Weiss to go on.

"Additionally... he said it wouldn't be inappropriate if I were to... perhaps have some time to enjoy myself on the weekends now. When I asked him if I could go out to lunch or see a movie with friends, he didn't oppose. Isn't that wonderful?"

Her blue eyes were shining brightly enough to put diamonds to shame.

Yang needed a moment to comprehend everything her girlfriend had just thrown at her. Not only would Weiss be attending one of Yang's actual games for the very first time – and her biggest one, at that – but she'd also revealed that she'd be available on weekends from now on.

This meant... they could go on their first real date together.

Yang almost swayed in her seat before she quickly shook herself off, almost breathless all over again in her joy.

"What...? Oh gosh wow... wow that's-that's a lot to take in oh my god..."

"Was it too much all at once? I'm sorry."

"Don't be!" Yang exclaimed. "Don't be at all! Weiss, this is the best news I've heard, like... ever! You're gonna come see me play and then... and then this weekend we can go out on a _date_ together! Holy crap!"

"My sentiments exactly," she beamed.

"This is great. This is _so_ awesome. C'mere, you."

Yang scooted closer and all but pulled Weiss into her lap, steadying the girl's legs over her own knees and holding her in place. Weiss gasped in surprise, but quickly got comfortable in her new position, holding lightly onto Yang's shoulders. With a sigh, she rested her forehead against Yang's, boring her gaze down into lavender.

"I'm so happy."

Yang looped an arm around the small of her back, nuzzling their noses together.

"Me, too."

Tenderly, Weiss pulled Yang close to her chest, resting her own chin atop her girlfriend's head and closing her eyes, relishing every second of this bliss. Yang nestled close, turning her face to one side, her ear resting perfectly against Weiss' collar. In the quiet stillness of the music room, she could hear Weiss' heartbeat, slow and steady, a rhythm no song could ever compare to. She counted the beats until she lost track, enjoying the sound for all it was worth.

When Weiss' alarm sounded a few minutes later, it roused them both. With effort, they parted from one another, helping each other get to their feet. Yang pulled her in for one last kiss, then handed Weiss her bag.

"See you tomorrow."

Weiss pulled her down by the collar and pecked her cheek.

"See you tomorrow."

She turned her back and headed for the doors.

With a bubbly sensation filling her stomach, Yang watched her go, more excited for tomorrow than ever before.

* * *

When the day of her big game had finally arrived, Yang was filled with a natural sensation of bubbling excitement, from the tips of her toes to the top of her head.

But she was actually less excited about the game itself, and more so about the fact that her girlfriend was finally going to be able to attend.

Weiss had seen her in practices many times before, but this would be the first time she'd be coming to a game.

The games were later at night, after everyone had gone home and had something to eat and taken some time to prepare themselves. When everyone came back to the school at 8PM that evening, bustling in the bleachers and eager to cheer for their school's team, there was an entirely different atmosphere about the place.

The opposing school's teams and supporters would be given the Away side of the gymnasium to sit in, while Beacon's would claim the Home side.

Since this was the first time Weiss would be attending one of her school's games, she was unsure of how to dress for the evening. So as soon as she got home, she washed her uniform so she could wear that again, assuming it would be an appropriate choice.

But after her father dropped her off in the crowded parking lot that evening, Weiss quickly noticed that she was the only person dressed in the skirt and blazer. Evidently, sporting events weren't as formal as the concerts were, because people were dressed in casual clothes. Whichever side of the gymnasium they sat on would prove which side they were supporting, so uniforms weren't really necessary.

Weiss was already feeling out of place as she walked through the busy doorways and followed the crowds toward the gym. She knew Yang was already here, likely in the locker rooms having some pep talks with her teammates and coach. Weiss wanted to text her, but she also didn't want to bother her. She just felt so lost in this sea of people, and she didn't really know what to do-

"Hi."

A sudden tap on her shoulder caused Weiss to jolt and whip around. Before her stood a familiar Faunus girl with long black hair, and a certain clarinet player from the band. Weiss instantly recognized them as Blake and Ruby, Yang's close friend and sister.

"Oh, you startled me!" she gasped.

Blake took a step back right away.

"Sorry. You just looked like... you could use some help. Want us to walk to the gym with you?"

"Yeah!" Ruby piped. "We can all sit together and cheer for Yang!"

Weiss tensed up for a minute, wondering what Yang might've told these two about their relationship. They weren't really implying that they knew anything beyond the fact that Weiss and Yang were good friends. Therefore, she took a deep breath and tried to remain composed as she gave her reply.

"Yes. I think I'd like that."

"Great!" Ruby darted around to Weiss' other side, wearing a huge grin. "Yang's so excited that you're coming tonight! She was ranting and raving all through dinner tonight!"

"Oh? Was she...?" Weiss tried to sound surprised.

"Yeah," Blake hummed from her other side. "She's been talking about you nonstop recently on the car rides home."

"D-Does she now?" Weiss did her best to keep her back straight and her eyes forward. "I wonder why..."

"Me, too," Blake mused.

The three of them entered the gymnasium where the bleachers were already packed with people on both sides. Beacon was versing Haven High tonight, and both groups were equally as rowdy.

Most seats on the Beacon side were filled near the top, since people liked to be up high during these things. But Weiss was more than content to take a seat in the front row. Ruby sat down next to her, and Blake next to Ruby.

"This is gonna be such a great game!" Ruby squealed. "Haven's beat us for a few years in a row, but there's no way they'll win against us on our own terf!"

She started blabbering to Blake after that, and Weiss got lost staring out at the empty gym between the walls lined with cheering people.

There were two volleyball nets set up, so there could be two separate matches happening at once between the two schools. Beacon and Haven would each have their teams be divided into two groups, and each group would face both groups of the opposing school for a total of four matches tonight.

It wasn't long before there was an announcement made that the games would be starting soon. A surge of excitement swept through the crowds as their respective teams entered, all dressed in their game clothes and ready to play.

Weiss spotted Yang immediately, her hair tied up into its high ponytail, swaying as she jogged into the gym behind her teammates. She scanned the crowds briefly and managed to find her little support squad, and when she met Weiss' gaze in particular, she gave a quick wink. Weiss smiled and waved her on.

The teams were halved, then set up on either side of the two nets.

For the first round, Yang was on Beacon's B-team, versing Haven's A-team. A ball was provided for each match, and the games began.

Weiss was easily swept up by the thrill pulsing around the atmosphere, this unbridled excitement and enthusiasm, the likes of which she'd never experienced before. All the events she'd attended thus far had been much more refined and somewhat quieter. But even though this was the complete opposite of what she was used to, she did her best to adapt.

Ruby and Blake cheered their hearts out next to her as the matches commenced, and everyone around her seemed to be doing the same. Weiss didn't raise her voice a lot to cheer, but instead kept her eyes trained on Yang.

Every serve she sent was perfect, every strike, every hit. She was playing with just as much enthusiasm as she practiced with, but somehow, Yang was glowing tonight.

Weiss had never seen her play a real game before. She was really putting her heart into it, and Weiss could tell. It made Yang look all the more beautiful as she enjoyed her passion.

Of course, Weiss didn't really know it, but Yang was trying to show off just a bit more tonight, since she knew her girlfriend was watching.

It was about twenty minutes of intense games for the first round. Both matches were serious, and each group was giving it their all. By the end of the first round, Yang's team had won their match, but the other Beacon team had lost, putting both schools at a temporary tie. The players were dismissed on a water break for five minutes as the crowds started chattering.

Weiss was a little surprised to find Yang headed her way, towards the bleachers now. The blonde girl raised a hand and waved to her group of friends.

"Hey! Ruby, _please_ tell me you brought that water bottle."

"Yeah! Got'cha covered, sis!" Ruby pulled out a bottle from her bag and tossed it to her sister. Yang caught it with a grateful smile.

"You're the best!" She chugged for a minute, then pulled it away with a sigh. "Phew! Those guys're just as tough to beat as ever!"

"But you're tied," Blake reminded her.

"Right!" Ruby agreed. "If you guys can win just one of these next matches, then we'll go into overtime! You can do it!"

"I sure hope so." Yang wiped her mouth, then finally directed her full attention to Weiss. "Hey! Glad you could make it."

She was trying to sound casual, as though she wasn't totally thrilled that her girlfriend was here. Weiss did her best not to give anything away, either.

"You're doing wonderfully. It's very entertaining."

"I'm glad you think so!"

They tried not to maintain eye contact for too long, or smile at one another too hard. More than anything, Weiss just wanted to give her a good luck kiss. But she wasn't sure if they were ready to tell everyone about their relationship yet. So as the coach blew his whistle and Yang jogged off again, Weiss just waved.

The second set of matches commenced, and the audience was even more lively than before. If either school won both of these matches, the games would be over.

Both games were at close scores and almost tied all the while, but in the end Beacon's A-team beat Haven's. However, Yang's team lost their match this time, by a single point, and only because of a penalty. This meant both schools were still tied 2 to 2 overall, and an overtime match was necessary.

The crowds shouted and screamed like crazy as the coaches from both schools decided who would compose their respective teams for the final game. Weiss was relieved to see Yang had been chosen for Beacon's side.

One volleyball net was moved aside, and the other was brought to the center of the gym so everyone could watch now. Yang was in the serving spot, and a coin toss determined she'd begin the match.

"Woo-hoo!" Ruby shouted. "Go Yang!"

"You can do it!" Blake added.

Weiss hadn't called out to her at all tonight. She felt it was now or never.

She cupped her hands on either side of her mouth and gave a shout from the bottom of her stomach.

"Good luck, Yang!"

She'd never shouted so loudly before in all her life. Up until now, it'd only been strict singing practice and deliberate support of her voice for similar purposes.

But never before had she shouted just to... _shout_.

Her voice cracked a little, but it was worth it. Yang heard her and flashed a surprised look her way. But she soon grinned, gave a thumbs-up, and served the ball.

Weiss started cheering like the rest of the crowds during the final match. Whichever team got 10 points first would be declared the winning side.

It wasn't good to begin with. Haven scored 4 points in a row while Beacon only managed one. As the other side of the gym started whooping and hollering, they let it go to their heads. Beacon made a quick comeback and soon brought the score up 7 to 5.

It was a relentless game from then on. Every hit was so hard the players arms started turning red. Adrenaline and the desire to win was fueling them to jump higher to spike or hit the ball. The audience was on the edge of their seats as the score rose to a perfect 9 to 9 score.

Weiss never took her eyes off Yang. She was panting now, covered in sweat, fists red from how many times she'd hit the ball.

Weiss wasn't the one playing, but she could barely breathe. There was a tight, almost unbearable tension gnarled within her chest, a nervous anxiety shared by everyone else in the entire gym right now. Her heart was throbbing so hard she felt it might burst.

 _Come on, Yang. You can do this..._

Haven served the ball, and Beacon's team was ready for it. They passed it back, and it soared over the net, only to come back a second later.

Weiss watched the ball, trying to determine if it would make it over the net or not.

Then, one of Haven's girls returned it, but the hit was weak. It was a split second, but to the players on the ground, it looked like it wouldn't make it over the net.

But Weiss could tell it would, and she knew exactly whose range it would be in when it did.

She'd never cried out as quickly or as loudly as she did then.

 _"Yang!"_

And her shout woke Yang up quickly enough to realize the ball had just barely grazed the top of the net, then made it over. Yang flattened her hand, bent her knees, and sprung up in an incredible jump. She spiked the ball so perfectly and so hard it bounced off the floor on the other side of the net before anyone could react.

The whole gym held its breath as Haven's final point went to Beacon instead.

It took a second.

But then everyone went wild.

Beacon's students and supporters all jumped up from their seats, screaming and hollering. Yang's teammates rushed at her, swarming her in a massive congratulatory hug as the final whistle was blown. Weiss jumped up with Ruby, Blake, and the rest of the school to clap and cheer, until she knew her voice was hoarse from it all.

In that moment, Weiss didn't know what came over her. She was just so... so _excited_. Her heart was soaring, and an incredible urge to move overtook her. She jumped down from the bleachers before she could think to stop herself, and dashed across the gym-

-right into Yang's waiting arms.

Yang had been expecting her, it seemed. She scooped Weiss right off the floor, spinning her around in one swift, clean motion, holding her up high in her arms. Weiss giggled and gasped as she locked her arms around Yang's neck, her eyes alight with the thrill of it all. Yang laughed and twirled her again as the rest of the gym continued shouting and cheering.

"Holy crap!" Yang cried. "We did it! We _won!_ "

" _You_ did it, Yang!" Weiss reminded her.

"Only thanks to you!"

Yang couldn't stop herself. She didn't care who knew anymore. She pulled Weiss in and kissed her full on the lips, for all the audience to see.

And Weiss couldn't even spare the moment to be bashful about it. She just kissed her back, unashamedly, wanting all the world to know.

And they understood right away. As if the gym hadn't been loud enough beforehand, the volume doubled in loudness now. Cheers erupted from both sides, Haven and Beacon supporters alike now awed by their joyful display of affection.

Yang just kept holding her up, spinning her around slowly, kissing her again and again. And Weiss continued to hug her tightly, giggling and sighing blissfully between kisses.

Their hearts were ecstatic, beating with a fervor that was unique only to this moment in time.

Yang knew she'd have a lot of explaining to do to her teammates and family. While Blake might've suspected her to be dating Weiss in secrecy, no one else likely had.

And Weiss would have a bit of explaining to do to her father about why her voice was so hoarse now. But at least she didn't have any more concerts anytime soon.

But all of that could come later.

For now, they just relished their moment in each other's arms, and let the whole world celebrate with them.

* * *

 **A/N: Finally, they let their love shine!**

 **Accompanying art is at : azure-zer0,tumblr,com/post/** **163425951308**

 **Please review!**


	8. Epilogue - Here

**I'm so glad everyone enjoyed this fic as much as I did! I'm so honored to have gotten the opportunity to work with Azure! Her art really brought this fic to life! Please enjoy the epilogue and final piece!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Epilogue. Here

Three days after the huge win for Beacon's volleyball team, the news was still the hottest topic around school.

Everyone kept talking about Yang's amazing final hit, and the subsequent touching moment between her and the talented soloist Weiss Schnee.

They were being celebrated all throughout the school, not only as the girls who had finally allowed them to beat Haven's volleyball team, but also too as the best and cutest couple. Every class they went to, the girls were the talk of the room before and after lectures, and during lunchtime as well.

After school, even three days later, Yang's teammates were still giving her so much praise for that final hit.

Their practices were a bit less intense now, and soon volleyball season would be over. Yang would then have the entirety of her afternoons free after school to do with as she pleased. And she knew exactly how she'd spend her newfound free time.

Even today's practice was rather short, and it was less of practice and more of celebrations and having fun together with the team. As soon as they were dismissed, Yang pulled her uniform back on as always, tied her blazer around her waist, and hurried off down the hallways. The sounds of piano keys echoed on the air, and a familiar voice accompanied the tune.

She entered the music room, which was all aglow in its usual golden hue.

Yang approached her girlfriend just as the song finished, and hugged her from behind. Weiss smiled and tilted her head back to look up at her.

"Good afternoon to you, too," she said.

"It's a good afternoon for sure," Yang agreed.

With a happy sigh she put her bag down, though she stayed on her feet. She coaxed Weiss to lean back a bit more, then bent down to kiss her upside-down. Weiss reached up to thread her fingers through Yang's ponytail, tugging her down a bit more. After a moment, they pulled apart, cheeks slightly flushed.

"So..." Weiss smiled. "How's life as a celebrity going?"

"Mm probably as great as the life of a celebrity's girlfriend is going," she mused, taking a seat beside her on the bench. "How's your voice?"

"Getting better," Weiss replied. "When I told my father how it happened, I was honestly so surprised he was all right with it. With _us_."

"Yeah. I'm surprised, too. But sure as heck not complaining!"

"Neither am I. Your sister's reaction was priceless as well."

"Oh yeah. Blake totally knew all along, but Ruby's eyes nearly popped out of her head. Poor kid. But she was more happy than anything!"

Sighing blissfully, Weiss leaned in against Yang's shoulder. Yang wrapped an arm around her back and held her, kissing the top of her head.

"Just one more day of practice for me," the blonde said. "And then I'll have all my afternoons totally free. I'll be able to come here and see you every day."

"I can't wait," Weiss replied. "And I also can't wait for our weekend plans."

"Yeah! We're gonna have such great dates, don't you worry!"

"I won't." Weiss sat up straight again and cleared her throat, giving her girlfriend an innocent look. "Yang, my throat still hurts a bit. And since it happened when I was trying to help you-"

"I should take responsibility, right?"

"You read my mind."

"All right, if you insist~"

Yang pulled her in close, trailing her thumb along the underside of Weiss' chin. She angled her face before leaning in for another kiss.

Weiss hummed approvingly against her lips and closed her eyes, letting the familiar sensation take over.

It was deeper and slower this time, the kind of kiss that made their heartbeats speed up in contrast. Weiss looped her arms around Yang's neck and cradled the back of her head lovingly. Yang moved her hand from Weiss' chin to her cheek to caress the scar over her eye. She lifted her other hand to rest at the side of Weiss' neck, where her pulse danced excitedly beneath her palm.

The light of the room changed once again, from its duller, pale color to a brighter, warmer gold.

This was the place where so many things had happened between them. From their first meeting, to the times they'd cared for one another, to their first kiss, to the end of their secret relationship.

But with that end, came a brand new beginning.

They would soon be going on their first dates together, holding hands, and demonstrating their love and affections to the rest of the world.

And it was all thanks to everything that had happened here.

In the golden room.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all so much for reading! Please show your appreciation to Azure for her hard work as well!**

 **Final artwork piece can be found here : azure-zer0,tumblr,com/post/** **163697083703**

 **Please review!**


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